Trompe l'Oeil with a Bust of Venus

This is a trompe-l’oeil, or trick of the eye. It is supposed to look as if a marble bust of Venus has been placed above the door. In order to mislead the viewer, some ‘real’ details have been added: a pink shawl and wreaths of periwinkle.

This Venus formed a pair with a bust of Adonis (now in Cape Town). They are the only two still-lifes by the history painter Van Everdingen, and they probably hung in his home.