Englishman's 'Dutch' paintings on show

The Dutch produced dozens of scenes of buxom females surrounded by equally plentiful arrays of fruit and vegetables, but as an artistic genre in Britain, it never took off.

An exhibition opening at Tate Britain today features the only British artist to have depicted the large-scale kitchen and market scenes that were so popular in the Low Countries.

Nathaniel Bacon, an aristocrat who lived from 1585 to 1627, is the earliest British-born painter to produce naturally observed still-life paintings - as well as a single small landscape which is, again, the first in its genre.

The Tate is bringing together seven of the nine works by him to have survived for what is the first solo exhibition dedicated to his work. Other works are referred to in documents but their whereabouts are not known.

The gallery itself owns Cookmaid with Still Life of Vegetables and Fruit and other works are coming from private collections and institutions, including three handed down from Bacon's daughter through the Gorhambury country estate in Hertfordshire.

Working at a time when it was becoming fashionable to show an understanding of art, Bacon was a nobleman who, almost uniquely among his artistic contemporaries, did not need to paint to earn a living.

His painting was a passion as was gardening, an interest that clearly informed his art. He is credited with breeding a special strain of pear.

Karen Hearn, who curated the exhibition, said: "He's incredibly important because he does things that no other British-born artist does. In the 16th century, most of the artists who work in Britain who were known tended to be born overseas and came to England often as religious exiles."

Few biographical details survive from most British artists in the early 17th century and it is rare to know even what they looked like. However, Nathaniel Bacon was clearly interested in his own appearance and left four self-portraits, three of which are in the show.

Although some Dutch art was imported into Britain, Ms Hearn said it was clear that Bacon had travelled to the Netherlands and trained there. "He paints in a Netherlandish way."

The exhibition, part of the new British art displays sponsored by BP, runs until 17 April. Admission is free.