Still Life with Roemer, Salt Cellar, Tobacco, Lemon, and Olives

This painting showcases the wealth of products brought to the Netherlands by various trading companies. Tobacco and salt were obtained by the Dutch West India Company (WIC). Tobacco came mainly from South America, while salt was initially imported from Spain and Portugal until the Eighty Years’ War and thereafter from Cape Verde and Brazil. Trade, often accompanied by colonial aggression, was the primary driver of Dutch prosperity during this time.