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A clear light cuts through the details of the composition with the cleanness of a photograph. The whole subject has been studied with millimetric precision, as seen in the pentimento, evident in the depiction of the melon, made smaller so as not to be too invasive. The framing is diagonal and places the edge of the chest in the foreground. The two books in the opposite corners and the velvet cloth with golden studs direct the gaze towards other depths, with the flat, dark background representing a point for comparison.
The painter has chosen a mix of subjects: ripe fruit of the season on a silver plate, citrus fruits corresponding to the Medici's botanical preferences, ultra-fine crystals, polished, fine blue and white porcelain, and books that allude to the constant pleasure of reading. Of these, the book on the stand with the savoiardi biscuits has a parchment bookmark carrying the artist's signature: a nonchalant trompe-l'oeil effect that is his recognized specialty, and which is repeated in the peeled lemon, dropping over the side of the table.
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