Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 6 works by Anna Abrahams in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Anna Abrahams left, the most famous is Still Life (1900), in the collection of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam. Close behind it come Still life (1887) and Still Life with Apples and Melon (1900). Our catalog holds 6 works by Anna Abrahams; the gallery has kept the 5 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
In this 1900 work, Still Life by Anna Abrahams, the viewer is invited into an intimate, eye-level encounter with a quiet arrangement of organic forms. The composition is anchored by a large, crescent-shaped slice of melon that rests upon a shallow plate. Surrounding this central element, several whole pieces of fruit—perhaps pears or apples—are positioned alongside smaller, round items such as plums or onions. The arrangement feels settled, as if…
The 3 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Anna Abrahams | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen |
Rotterdam | 3 | Still Life, Still Life with Apples and Melon, Still Life with Apples in a Basket |
 The Mesdag Collection |
The Hague | 1 | Still life |
 Museum Gouda |
Gouda | 1 | Melon |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
In this 1900 work, Still Life by Anna Abrahams, the viewer is invited into an intimate, eye-level encounter with a quiet arrangement of organic forms. The composition is anchored by a large, crescent-shaped slice of melon that rests upon a shallow plate. Surrounding this central element, several whole pieces of fruit—perhaps pears or apples—are positioned alongside smaller, round items such as plums or onions. The arrangement feels settled, as if…
Still Life (1900), Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam. Still life (1887) and Still Life with Apples and Melon (1900) come next.
51 years old: Still Life dates from 1900, and Anna Abrahams was born in 1849.
Our catalog holds 6 works by Anna Abrahams, dated from 1887 to 1910.
Mostly in Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Rotterdam), The Mesdag Collection (The Hague) and Museum Gouda (Gouda). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1900s: 3 of the 5 works on this page were made then, Still Life among them.
On this page, the earliest is Still life (1887) and the latest Melon (1910).
Still Life, Still Life with Apples and Melon and Still Life with Apples in a Basket: the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam holds 3 of the works on this page.
Born in the coastal town of Middelburg, Netherlands, Anna Adelaïde Abrahams grew up within a family of intellect and letters. Her father, Hendrik Paulus Abrahams, was a man of many pursuits, working as a bookseller, journalist, and publisher. This environment of literacy and observation likely shaped the keen eye she would later bring to her canvases. As she matured, her interests turned toward the delicate interplay of light and form, leading her to seek formal instruction under masters such as Jan Frederik Schütz sr., Rudolphina Swanida Wildrik, Maria Vos, and Adriana Johanna Haanen.
In 1877, she moved to The Hague, a city that would become the center of her creative life. It was here that she refined her craft at the Royal Academy of Art. Her days were spent in study, while her evenings were often dedicated to working alongside the painter Petrus van der Velden. This period of intense learning laid the foundation for a career defined by a profound connection to the natural world, specifically through the intimate study of flowers and fruit.
The evolution of her technique reveals a painter in constant dialogue with her own perception. In her early years, her work possessed a certain weight; her palette was dark and heavy, perhaps influenced by the subtle guidance of Sientje van Houten. However, as the decade turned toward the 1880s, a transformation occurred. Her brushwork became looser, and her colors grew lighter, reflecting a new way of seeing the world around her. While she was primarily known for her still lifes, she occasionally ventured into landscapes, portraits, and even the rare, daring subject of the nude figure.
Her professional life was marked by several significant milestones:
Anna Abrahams remained an active force in the Dutch art scene until her death in The Hague. She was a woman of significant standing, a member of the art association Ons Doel Is Schoonheid and a respected figure within the Pulchri Studio. Her dedication to her craft was recognized through major exhibitions, including a retrospective at Pulchri Studio for her seventieth birthday and another at the Koninklijke Kunstzaal Kleykamp when she reached eighty. These honors spoke to a lifetime of consistent, disciplined observation.
Today, her presence is felt in the most esteemed collections across the Netherlands. Her paintings and watercolors can be found in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, The Mesdag Collection, the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, the Zeeuws Museum, and the Kröller-Müller Museum. Through these works, she continues to offer a glimpse into the quiet, luminous beauty of the objects she once held so closely in her gaze.
