Isaac van DUYNEN (1628 – ca. 1680) was a Dutch Golden Age still life painter

Still Life of Freshwater Fish and a Frog

Signed

oil on canvas

46 1/4 x 55 1/4 inches
117.5 x 141.5 cm

Van Duynen was a native of Dordrecht, who, according to Houbraken was one of the best still life painters of fish. According to J.C. Weyerman, he became a member of the Confrerie Pictura in 1665 and was the son of guild member Gerrit van Duynen. He was possibly a pupil of Jacob Gerritsz. Cuypand was also known as Deynen or Duijnen.

He traveled to Rome during the years 1651-1657 and is known for fish & fruit still lifes. In 1657, on his return to the Netherlands he settled in The Hague and became a member of the Confrerie in 1665.

In the Hague, he became a pupil of Van Beyeren and painted still lifes of sea and river fish very successfully, of which the present picture is a typical example. Houbraken (1718) considered him one of the best artists in this genre, and it is clear that he demonstrates great skill in the handling of the slippery, wet bodies of the fish and their gleaming, reflective scales.