Who painted this?
This work is by Severin Roesen. Rosesen was a German-born and German-trained artist who immigrated to the United States in the 1848. He became known for his still life paintings, and this one is among his most ambitious works. Still life paintings were a favorite way for an artist to showcase his technical skill, and they were also appropriate decorations for a home in mid-1800s America, so they were in demand in the art market of the time.
Do the eggs (the only "animal" presence here) have a special meaning?
Still life paintings often have many allusions to life and bounty, and sometimes to death and decay. We can surmise that the bird's nest is presented to allude to birth and possibility. Images of natural prosperity and fertility were popular as decorations in the homes of affluent American families in the mid-1800s!
I see! Thank you very much!