3-035-618 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Vase of Flowers, 1722. Additional Info: Arranged in a terracotta vase displaying an antique relief, Jan van Huysum included flowers from all seasons of the year - roses, anemones, hyacinths, tulips, and more - and painted them directly from life. The flowers' nearly overripe quality attests both to nature's bounty and its transience. The bouquet is ordered in a loose pyramidal shape, with flowers and greenery almost bursting to be free of the vase. Butterflies and other insects fly or crawl amongst the arrangement, and drops of water are visible on leafs and shiny petals.