WILLEM CLAASZ

HEDA (c. 1594-c. 1670)  , Dutch painter, born at Haarlem, was one of the earliest Dutchmen who devoted himself exclusively to the painting of still life . He was the contemporary and comrade of Dirk Hals, with whom he had in common pictorial touch and technical execution . But Heda was more careful and finished than Hals, and showed consider-able skill and not a little taste in arranging and colouring chased cups and beakers and tankards of precious and inferior metals . Nothing is so appetizing as his " luncheon," with rare comestibles set out upon rich plate, oysters—seldom without the cut lemon—bread, champagne, olives and pastry . Even the commoner " refection " is also not without charm, as it comprises a cut ham, bread, walnuts and beer . One of Heda's early masterpieces, dated 1623, in the Munich Pinakothek is as homely as a later one of 1651 in the Liechtenstein Gallery at Vienna . A more luxurious repast is a" Luncheon in the Augsburg Gallery," dated 1644 . Most of Heda's pictures are on the European continent, notably in the galleries of Paris, Parma, Ghent, Darmstadt, Gotha, Munich and Vienna . He was a man of repute in his native city, and filled all the offices of dignity and trust in the gild of Haarlem . He seems to have had considerable influence in forming the younger Franz Hals .