Breakfast of Crab

A table laid with expensive tableware and an exquisite breakfast was a very popular theme in Haarlem still-life painting. Breakfast of Crab by Heda is one of the most refined examples of the genre. The painting is originally made in 1648, is made with oil painting on canvas, and measures 118 × 118 cms (46.46 × 46.46 inches). The artist used the colour range dominated by silvery tones, without any bright spot to disrupt the smooth and soft colour. He employed his favourite device of repeating the reflection of the studio window numerous times on the surfaces of the silver and glassware in order to bring out their texture. The regular composition and the soft stream of light combine to unite all the elements. Currently, the authentic Willem Claesz. Heda’s Breakfast of Crab painting is held by The State Hermitage, which is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia.