Still Life with Male Figure and the Politics of Display

Join UAB Graduate Curatorial Fellow Caelum Barragan during your lunch break for a discussion on Still Life with Male Figure (Juriaen van Streek, about 1650–1680), on view in the Museum’s Dutch and Flemish gallery. While this work initially draws the eye with its sumptuous display of luxury objects, it also reflects the cultural, economic, and religious currents of the Dutch Golden Age. Barragan will briefly outline how Dutch still lifes such as this one fit within the pronkstilleven, or ornate, tradition and explore deeper themes of value, trade, and representation that connect the depicted figure and objects to broader histories. The talk will conclude with time for audience questions and discussion. 

Image caption: Juriaen van Streek (1632–1687), Still Life with Male Figure, about 1650-1680, oil on canvas, 35 7/8 × 31 5/8 in. (91.2 × 80.4 cm); Collection of the Art Fund, Inc. at the Birmingham Museum of Art; Purchase with funds provided by Margaret G. Livingston, AFI.46.2018