Lecture «Dutch Still Lifes» by Maryna Filatova

About the Event

On September 28 at 7:00 PM, ZENYK ART GALLERY invites you to the lecture "Dutch Still Lifes," presented by Maryna Filatova — PhD in Art History and Head of the Department of Foreign Art at the Kharkiv Art Museum.

What we’ll talk about:

• How and why the still life genre became so popular in 17th-century Holland.
• What made the "Little Dutch Masters" captivate millions of admirers, and why their works still grace the world’s leading museums.
• What hidden meanings lie behind the beauty of Dutch fruits, goblets, and flowers.
• Why oysters became a metaphor for flirtation and temptation, and how an overturned glass symbolizes the fleeting nature of earthly pleasures.
• Why Jan Steen is considered the most ironic artist of his time — and what his witty “jokes” on canvas really mean.

Maryna Filatova’s lecture will be an opportunity to better understand how to "read" a Dutch still life and see the layered meanings beneath its perfect form — from symbolic details to the broader context of the era in which these artworks emerged. It’s not only a journey through the history of the genre, but also a chance to learn the “language” of classical paintings that continue to fascinate art lovers around the world today.

Event date: Sunday, September 28 at 7:00 PM
Participation fee: 500 UAH
Seats are limited