Author Description

Van der Ast was born in Middelburg, in the province of Zeeland, into the family of a wealthy wool merchant. His date of birth was not recorded, but on June 30, 1618, his brother Jacob indicates in a legal deed that Balthasar was 25 years old at the time of writing. His father, Hans, was a widower, and when he died in 1609 Balthasar moved in with his sister Maria and brother-in-law Ambrosius Bosschaert, whom she had married in 1604. Bosschaert was Van der Ast's teacher, and his influence can be clearly recognized in the artist's early work. In turn, Balthasar also taught Bosschaert's three sons, Ambrosius the Younger, Johannes, and Abraham. Together, this group of painters is sometimes referred to as the "Bosschaert Dynasty." Van der Ast accompanied the Bosschaert family to Bergen op Zoom in 1615 and in 1619 to Utrecht, where he joined the Guild of St. Luke at the same time as Roelant Savery. Savery had a great influence on Van der Ast's work during this period, especially with regard to his interest in tones and colors. It is also known that during these years Jan Davidsz de Heem was Van der Ast's pupil. He remained in Utrecht until 1632, when he reached Delft and enrolled in the local guild of St. Luke. On February 26, 1633, he married Margrieta Jans van Buijeren, by whom he had two daughters, Maria and Helena. Balthasar van der Ast died in December 1657 in Delft and is buried in the local church. He adopted the almost minimalist treatment of surfaces, transforming even flowers and fruits into polychrome sculptures, characteristic of the Middelbourg painters. Due to its commercial activity, the city, rival to Amsterdam, offered artists precious motifs that Van der Ast painted with pleasure, such as Chinese dishes and exotic shells. His still lifes are however full of spirituality and an invitation to meditate on human fate. Dragonflies, butterflies, and leaves are eaten by insects are a reminder of the uncertainty of existence, as the "vanit