(b Haarlem, 1594; d Haarlem, 1680). Dutch painter. He was a still-life painter, who, like Pieter Claesz., is noted for his monochrome breakfast-pieces, which are, however, more opulent than those of Claesz. Heda’s earliest dated work is a Vanitas (1621; The Hague, Mus. Bredius), which shows a still-life from a high viewpoint, composed of various objects bearing vanitas associations (e.g. a bowl of glowing embers, smoker’s requisites, an overturned glass and a skull); the colouring is in brownish-grey tones and represents one of the earliest examples of a Dutch monochrome still-life (‘monochrome’ refers to the range of tones, rather than of colours). Even in this early work Heda’s skill at painting textures is evident. A more balanced composition is achieved in another Still-life (1629; The Hague, Mauritshuis) and in the Breakfast Table (1631; Dresden, Gemäldegal. Alte Meister), in both of which the objects, set against a neutral background, are linked by a strong diagonal. The Mauritshuis still-life also gives an early indication of Heda’s interest in painting the effects of light. In 1631 he became a member of the Haarlem Guild of St Luke (of which he served as deacon on several occasions after 1637).

• Heda, Willem (Claesz.)
  • Haarlem, §2(ii): Artistic community
  • patrons and collectors
    • Snyders, Frans, §1(iii): Late works, after 1640
  • works
    • Netherlands, the, §III, 4(ii): Painting and graphic arts, c 1550–c 1680: Haarlem
    • Nieborów
    • Still-life, §2: 14th to 17th centuries: Renaissance and Baroque
    • Vanitas, §2: The Netherlands