Spanish or Italian school; 17th century. "Still life". Oil on canvas. Re-framed. Measurements: 71 x 122 cm; 90 x 141 cm (frame). Oil on canvas of landscape format in which a still life is represented with a big lobster of intense red colour, placed inside a silver or pewter plate, typical of the representations of this period, since the capture of the tactile values of this type of material and the recreation of the brightness, demonstrated the artistic capacity of the painter. Around the plate we see other elements such as grapes, a melon or an artichoke, all of which are arranged on a table whose front runs parallel to the lower edge of the painting, and which is captured from a high viewpoint that allows a detailed view of the objects. This elevated viewpoint is the first of the formal features typical of the Spanish school that we highlight in this work. The artist has used a symmetrical and ordered composition, which reveals an aesthetic still linked to the early Baroque. Restraint also characterises the colour, which shines brightly under the spotlight but remains toned down. Thus, this work uses a play of yellows, earth tones and reds, perfectly matched to create a compositional rhythm and avoid the monotony of the representation, but without one standing out more than the other. The objects are piled up and their textures and qualities contrast, but the image is unified by the careful treatment of the light, which fills some areas with brightness and leaves others in semi-darkness, creating depth in a very naturalistic manner. During the 17th century there was a growing demand for paintings to decorate the houses of the bourgeoisie. Apart from portraits and large canvases with religious, historical or mythological themes, artists specialised, painting medium-sized works that gradually increased in format, with still lifes, animals, landscapes and genre scenes. Paintings reproducing collectors cabinets of the period are explicit in this respect, to the point of creating a new, independent genre of painting.