Jan Pauwel Gillemans, the old man

JAN PAUWEL GILLEMANS "the Elder" (Antwerp, Belgium, 1618–1675).
“Still Life.”
Oil on panel.
Measurements: 33 x 24.5 cm; 53 x 44.5 cm (frame).
The combination of an exuberant garland of fruit with a sculptural-looking cartouche makes this small panel by Jan Pauwel Gillemans the Elder a representative example of the aesthetic developed in the 17th-century Flemish still-life genre. The composition stands out for its illusionistic conception, in which the plant elements seem to surround an ornamental structure carved in stone, creating an appealing interplay between painting, sculpture, and trompe-l’œil. One of the painting’s most notable aspects is the treatment of the various natural textures. Gillemans renders the fruits with precise and meticulous brushwork, paying close attention to their volumes, surfaces, and chromatic nuances. The lighting, concentrated on the fruits, creates intense hallmarks with the leaves and the dark background, enhancing the sense of relief and the almost tangible appearance of the depicted elements. This naturalism, bordering on trompe-l’œil, reveals the influence of the great Flemish still-life tradition, particularly that of Jan Davidsz. de Heem.
Among the artist’s known works, a comparison with *Lobsters, Oysters, and Fruit*, dated 1662 and housed at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, is particularly interesting. Although it belongs to a different type of still life, it allows us to appreciate Gillemans’ attention to material qualities, descriptive precision, and the richness of the natural elements. Also relevant points of reference are the still lifes held at the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London and the Victoria and Albert Museum, where his work can be contextualized within the decorative and naturalistic tradition of Antwerp.
A Flemish painter and goldsmith, he trained in Liège in a relative’s workshop and later returned to Antwerp, where he was admitted as a master to the Guild of Saint Luke in 1648. Specializing in still lifes of fruit and flowers, he developed a style influenced by Jan Davidsz. de Heem, characterized by descriptive precision, rich textures, and ornamental compositions. He achieved notable commercial success, as evidenced by records from the prominent Forchoudt art dealership, which sold numerous works by him between 1665 and 1673. He was the father and teacher of Jan Pauwel Gillemans the Younger, and his students included Jan Frans van Son. His works are represented in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels, as well as in collections in the United Kingdom, including the Dulwich Picture Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and in museums in Bamberg and Glasgow.