Untitled (Still life with frying pan)

Bros, Bonifaci

In Bonifaci Bros’ meal and fruit still lives we unintentionally find the history of 400 years of still lives in a nutshell: the objects present themselves, without boasting, but also without banality. At the same time they are a godly homage to the good life, and thanksgiving for all the beauty that He has created on earth. But they are also notable examples of his artistic translation of spatial shapes on a flat sheet of paper. Without batting an eyelid, Bros combines an aerial view, silhouetted against a tablecloth or placemat, with a frontal perspective and a bird’s eye view.

Bros did not sketch the frying pan with depth. A sense of depth can only be found in the overlapping of panhandle and cutlery. We sometimes see a vague shadow beneath the edge of a plate or a pan on the tablecloth. The stark circular shape of plate or skillet frames the food.