Still life of fish in a harbor landscape, possibly an allegory of the element of water

A bounty of fish, freshly caught and still glistening, tumbles across the foreground of this painting. They lie piled on a sandy shore, their scales catching the light, with crabs and shellfish scattered among them. Behind this abundant still life, a harbor scene unfolds under a dramatic sky, complete with distant ships and figures on the bustling docks. Painted around 1660, this work by Jan van Kessel the Elder showcases an almost scientific precision in its depiction of natural forms, a hallmark of artists of his time who sought to catalog the world. The careful arrangement and detailed rendering of each creature suggest it might be more than just a simple still life, perhaps an allegory for the element of water, inviting viewers to ponder the richness and interconnectedness of the natural world.