Still Life with Oysters, a Silver Tazza, and Glassware

A tall silver tazza catches the light at the centre of a table set with oysters, a glass of white wine and a pewter plate. Willem Claesz Heda was the master of the monochrome banketje, the sober “breakfast piece” in which a handful of objects are rendered in an almost silvery harmony of greys, golds and pale browns. The cool, even daylight and the deliberate arrangement turn a simple meal into a study of reflection and restraint.