Artwork
A Bowl of Flowers
A Bowl of Flowers is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Elias van den Broeck. It dates from 1696 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Elias van den Broeck’s 1696 oil painting, *A Bowl of Flowers*, presents a richly colored floral arrangement set in a dark interior. A large vessel holds blossoms in white, pink, orange and yellow, surrounded by verdant foliage that catches the light against the muted background, creating a vivid focal point typical of Dutch still‑life compositions.
Subject & Meaning
The work concentrates on the transient beauty of cultivated blooms, a common motif in 17th‑century Dutch art that alludes to the fleeting nature of life and the pleasures of the senses. By arranging the flowers in a simple bowl, the artist emphasizes their natural forms while inviting contemplation of their delicate impermanence.
Technique & Style
Van den Broeck renders each petal and leaf with meticulous brushwork, achieving a tactile sense of texture and translucency. The flowers are painted with high contrast, their saturated hues illuminated against a deep, almost tenebristic backdrop. The bowl, rendered with broader strokes, serves as a subdued platform that accentuates the detailed botanical rendering.
History & Provenance
A native of the Dutch Republic, van den Broeck trained locally before working in Antwerp and later establishing a successful practice in Amsterdam. *A Bowl of Flowers* remained within private collections before entering the holdings of Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s Dutch Golden Age holdings.
Artist & collection
Artist
Elias van den Broeck (c. 1652 in probably in Amsterdam – buried 6 February 1708 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch still life painter mainly known for his flower pieces. He trained in the Dutch Republic and worked for some time…
