Artwork
Twelve Months of Flowers: September
Twelve Months of Flowers: September is an oil painting by Jacob van Huysum. It dates from 1733 and is held in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1733, this oil painting forms part of Jacob van Huysum’s twelve‑month series that records the flora associated with each season.
Created in 1733, this oil painting forms part of Jacob van Huysum’s twelve‑month series that records the flora associated with each season. The composition centers on an ornate gold vase crowned with a lion’s head, from which a profusion of blossoms in reds, oranges, yellows, whites and blues appear to spring. A muted green‑brown landscape with distant trees frames the scene, emphasizing the lavish display of flowers.
Subject & Meaning
The work illustrates the botanical richness of September, gathering species that would have been in bloom at that time of year. By arranging the blossoms as if they emerge directly from the vessel, van Huysum underscores the idea of nature’s abundance and the seasonal cycle, a theme common to Enlightenment‑era natural histories.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the painting showcases van Huysum’s meticulous attention to botanical detail, a hallmark of his career. Fine brushwork renders individual petals and foliage with scientific accuracy, while the glossy surface of the gilded vase and the subtle atmospheric background demonstrate a balance between precise illustration and decorative composition.
History & Provenance
Jacob van Huysum, a Dutch-born artist who relocated to Britain in 1721, produced this piece during his most productive period. The September canvas now belongs to the Fitzwilliam Museum, where it resides among the institution’s holdings of 18th‑century botanical art, reflecting the period’s fascination with cataloguing plant life.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacob van Huysum (1688–1740) was an 18th-century botanical painter from the Dutch Republic who moved to the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1721.
