No, it doesn't smell fishy

[SorellaLaBefana]

Anne Vallayer-Coster was one of the very few women to be be admitted to the French Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture. Marie Antoinette (who did not say "...qu'ils mangent de la brioche" ) was her patron.

...Anne Vallayer-Coster represents the great but often overlooked legacy of female artists. Still Life with Mackerel is one of her most fabulous paintings. It is a masterpiece of color, composition, and imitation...

...[she] painted Still Life with Mackerel in 1787, near the end of the Ancien Régime and the beginning of the French Revolution of 1789. What she captures in Still Life with Mackerel is the elegant but restrained opulence of this soon-to-be vanished world. A simple but sumptuous feast dominates the composition. Expensive items are artfully arranged to tell an anecdote of wealth and luxury.

Still Life with Mackerel celebrates the Spring arrival of mackerel fish in Paris. The oily and delicious fish are caught off the northern shores of Normandy and then quickly transported to Paris by riverboats. Mackerel is a fish that spoils easily and therefore the freshest specimens were considered a rare delicacy...

...Don’t be worried about the fish. Remember, it is still fresh. Fresh fish does not smell, but there is a subtle hint of saltwater. Like sea salt added to fine caramels, the faint saltwater adds a delectable richness. Therefore what we smell is the singularly beautiful scents of flowers, fruit, bread, and a hint of salt combining into a palatable sensation. Close your eyes and imagine this natural perfume...

https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/anne-vallayer-coster-still-life/

Anne survived the bloodbath of the Reign of Terror. However, given her ties to the monarchy, her success declined. Fortunately, her talent was such that Empress Josephine (Nappy's wife) did offer her some support. When the monarchy was restored, she once again exhibited in the Paris Salon.

To my astonishment, "Still Life With Mackerel" is in the Kimbell Museum here in Texas (Fort Worth)!! At least it is until our Governor has it DEIed out of existence and burned in a public square in homage to Friar Savonarola's Bonfire of the Vanities.

Didn't really mean to go there. Hard not to.

Will end with a painting of Anne in 1783 at the apex of her long career

This painting is also in America at Sacramento's Crocker Art Museum

[Kali999]

1. nice

All that glass really high lights her enormous talent. Beautiful painting.