Still Life with Sardines and Oil Lamp

A small flame holds the right side of the table, its glow catching the lid of an open sardine tin.

The arrangement sits low and close—the tin anchoring the lower left while the oil lamp answers it from the right, their curved bases echoing across the wooden surface. Ochre, umber and olive green carry most of the picture, with silver and gold flickers where the lamp's light strikes the metal and the small fish inside. Tighter strokes define the label and the scales, while looser passages soften the wall and the shadow climbing toward the upper left. The light comes from within the scene itself, modeling each object gently and letting the background fall away. Behind the warmth of the wick, a quiet evening settles and holds.