Still Life with a Punch Bowl

Still Life with a Punch Bowl is thought to have been created for placement over a door, as was the custom in some wealthier upper-class homes at the end of the 18th century. It should nevertheless be recognised as a still life in its own right. Schillmark scholars have not been able to ascertain how he was able to embrace the distinctive appeal to the senses so specific to this painting, and characteristic of still life painting in general. Perhaps he saw similar still life paintings in Sweden, as there would have been none in Finland at the time. The bowl is genuine Chinese porcelain imported by the East India Trading Company, a rarity and a sign of wealth. The lemon, a rare delicacy in itself, was an essential ingredient in the punch served from the bowl.