Today’s work of art is by a contemporary Dutch artist, Jos Van Riswick, who for most of his life worked at a university as a physicist before giving it all up to pursue an artist’s life in Nijmegen, Holland. After some experimentation, he found that traditional oils suited him best, and has been specializing in still lifes, such as this commission, done for someone in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The painting, Beer Still Life, was completed in August of 2010.
In his biography, van Riswick cites Rembrandt, along with Vermeer and Caravaggio, as influences and I have to agree that his work looks more timeless and older than many of his contemporaries. You wouldn’t look at this painting and immediately place it as having been done less than two years ago.
To learn more about Van Riswick, he has a short biography on his website. You can see many more of his paintings at Postcard From Holland, his blog Jos van Riswick — Painter, his Drawing Book and his eponymous website JosVanRiswick.com.