"Breakfast Still Life with Glass and Metalwork"

When our class visited the MFA, the picture that caught my eye the most was Jan den Uyl's "Breakfast Still Life with Glass and Metalwork." Compared to the ancient art we looked at before this painting, this really seems to be leaps and bounds better.

In terms of light, shadowing, and general aesthetics, this painting almost looks like a photo. The dominant contrast of dark and light is the white tablecloth over the black drape- like cloth on the base of the table. To me, there are three focal points. The bottom left, with it's shiny objects and white cloth, the right half, which is much darker, and the upper left, which is lighter than the right. The image depicts a table with lots of dishes and silverware, letting the observer know that somebody had eaten breakfast. The painting seems to be from the third person perspective, looking at the mess that somebody made.

The painting's title definitely depicts the painting very well. It states exactly what it shows in the painting. This could be a photo and keep the same title. The gaze in the photo is directed towards the table. It's what definitely draws the eye first. As the viewer, we are positioned a little above the table, making it seem like we're standing over the table, observing it. There is not much hidden from the viewer, at least nothing major. Uyl makes this image work because of how realistic it looks. The attention to detail on the shining silverware and the flowing white cloth is tremendous. If we were looking on Scott McClouds' "picture plane," this would be considered extreme realism and resemblance. It really does look like a photo, and it's no wonder this painting caught my eye when we were touring through the Museum of Fine Arts.