Escena de mercado en un muelle

Still life paintings gained popularity in the Netherlands during the 17th century. The subjects of still life paintings include flower bouquets, banquet tables, and market stalls. Still lifes often contain visual clues about what was happening in religion, politics, or society at the time in which they were painted. 

When this painting was created, Dutch colonization and trade had brought wealth and a variety of imported goods to port cities. This scene depicts a market stall in Antwerp, a major port city in Europe at the time. The overabundance of the market stall and the port shown in the background represent the city’s success during the Dutch Golden Age. 

Flemish artist Frans Snyders is best known for his paintings of still lifes and market scenes. His compositions often include game animals, or wild animals that are hunted. Snyders painted Market Scene on a Quay during the Eighty Years’ War. It was a period of conflict between Spain and the Netherlands that lasted from 1568 to 1648. The Spanish king wanted to convert the region to Catholicism. This was rejected by many people in the country, since a large portion of the population was Protestant. When the war ended, the Netherlands gained its independence from Spain. 

There are two ships in the background of this painting. Snyders included the flags of both Spanish Flanders and the Netherlands on the masts of the ships. This imagery represents the conflict that was happening in the region.

Snyders and his workshop assistants often painted large-scale scenes of outdoor markets. This painting is more than 11 feet wide. Snyders sometimes collaborated with other famous Flemish painters, including Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, and Jacob Jordaens.