Shells on a Stone Plinth, Adriaen Coorte, 1698
oil on paper on panel, h 29cm × w 22.5cm More details
Coorte arranged the shells on a stone plinth against a dark background in such a way that each one receives attention, displaying its own form, colour, and structure. Coorte, moreover, painted them life size. These kinds of exotic shells were brought to the Netherlands in the ships of the Dutch East and West India Companies and were highly prized by collectors, who paid enormous amounts for them.
