This article argues that the pictoric genre still life, associated with the transatlantic Baroque, has one of its origins in Spanish poverty along the XVII Century and, on the other hand, in the abundance of the Indies. Francisco de Zurbarán was one of the best still life painters, and he used some themes from the New World. One of his most famous pieces, the still life with lemons and a cup of chocolate has been read lately as dedicated to the epiphany of Virgin Mary, transforming the cup of chocolate in a glass of water. This article discusses the dish of sweet potatoes that the painter took out of his painting, proving that still life is more from the Indies than from the mystic representation. It is, thus, mostly Baroque.
Still life; transatlantic poetics; Baroque
