Spanish school of the 18th century. "Still life". Oil on canvas re-drawn. Measurements: 95 x 128 cm ; 116 x 150 cm (frame). Still life composed by different recipients (jars, plates) and fruits, arranged on a table with tablecloth. At the back of the scene we can see an open window from where we can contemplate an architecture and mountains. Still life painting in Spain developed unevenly throughout the 17th century and later. In contrast to the artistic crisis of the first half of the 17th century, the second half saw a recovery. From the beginning of the 17th century onwards we find references to the genre under the name of still life. This type of painting was considered a form of entertainment in which only the achievement of an exact imitation and the use of colour were of any importance, although the mastery of the textures, lighting and arrangement of the elements was valued, to the delight of the spectator with the variety of possibilities on offer. In the first part of the 18th century the still life lived on the ideas of the preceding period; in contrast, the second half of the century saw a clear development clearly dominated by the figure of Luis Meléndez and other painters, who created series of still lifes endowed with a perfection, beauty and balance which they turned into true masterpieces.