This book serves to establish Clara Peeters, one of the most talented and creative among the early practitioners of still-life painting in Europe in the early 17th century, as a leader in her field. The book not only discusses the artist’s biography but also examines the historical and cultural context of Peeters’ art, her artistry and the material culture reflected in her paintings. Part of the first generation of European artists to specialise in still-life painting, Peeters was in fact the only Flemish woman known to have focussed on this genre of painting in the early 17th century. She was also one of the few women to dedicate her professional life to painting in early modern Europe.

This timely book sheds light on the limitations that Clara Peeters encountered because of her gender and how she responded to them in her art, while also assessing her importance as a painter of still-life.