Van der Ast specialized in still life painting with a wide variety of objects. Like many of his contemporaries, Van der Ast would have utilized studies he later combined in his compositions.
Balthasar van der Ast (Middelburg, 1593/94 – Delft, 7 March 1657) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who specialized in still lifes of flowers and fruit, as well as painting a number of remarkable shell still lifes; he is considered to be a pioneer in the genre of shell painting. His still lifes often contain insects and lizards.His lifetime of works was once summarized by an Amsterdam doctor who said, "In flowers, shells and lizards, beautiful".
