3-016-458 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Oyster Eaters, 1665. The three figures are grouped around a table on which the older woman is placing a tray of oysters. This shellfish had erotic connotations and was thought to be an aphrodisiac, an allusion which, combined with that of music, suggests an amorous theme for the painting. To judge from the figures and the other elements this scene might be set in a brothel.