The series of monumental "shops" is the only work by Snyders for which we know the name of the man who commissioned it. He was Bishop Antonio Triest (1576-1657), a great connoisseur and patron of the arts and sciences who maintained close contacts with the artists of Antwerp, especially Rubens and his circle. The "Shops" were apparently intended for the state dining-room in the bishop's palace at Bruges. They were the first truly mature monumental work the artist produced. In them he employed elements of the then highly popular allegories of "the four elements", "the five senses" and "the seasons". Yet his paintings are not merely an allegory of abundance and prosperity, but also an image of a single cosmic element that is constantly in motion.
In the Fruit Shop, the entire space is filled with heavy, fragrant fruit bursting with ripeness. Assembled here are fruits from different latitudes that are in season at different times of the year. The artist seems to be inviting the viewer into the shop, where a sumptuous world glowing with the beauty of rich colours is revealed.
The painting entered the Hermitage in 1779 as part of the collection of Sir Robert Walpole from Houghton Hall in England.