Otto Marseus van Schrieck

Otto Marseus van Schrieck was a Dutch Golden Age painter renowned for his dark, detailed forest floor still lifes, often featuring lizards, insects, and an innovative technique using real butterfly wings.

ABOUT

Born around 1613 in Nijmegen, Otto Marseus van Schrieck carved out a unique niche in the Dutch Golden Age with his distinctive 'sottobosco' or forest floor paintings. These works, often dark and atmospheric, meticulously depict flora and fauna, frequently featuring reptiles like lizards at the base and various insects on leaves and branches. He was known for his innovative approach to art, even keeping live snakes and lizards in a shed behind his house and on a walled plot o…

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NOTABLE WORKS

Snakes, toads and butterflies 1639 · Musée des Augustins Forest floot still life with Diana and Actäon 1646 · Bavarian State Painting Collections Toads and Snails 1648 · National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design Forest Floor Still Life 1649 · National Trust A forest floor with a snake, lizards, butterflies and other insects 1650 · Rijksmuseum Still life with flowers 1650 · Fitzwilliam Museum

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INFLUENCES

Influenced

Willem van AelstDutch Golden Age Rachel RuyschDutch Golden Age Abraham MignonDutch Golden Age Matthias WithoosDutch Golden Age

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