Artwork
Flowers
Flowers is an unspecified painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Baptist van Fornenburgh. It dates from 1636 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Flowers is a 1636 still life painting by Jan Baptist van Fornenburgh, a Dutch Golden Age artist specializing in floral compositions. The work features a vibrant arrangement of predominantly pink and red flowers, accompanied by green foliage, insects, and a mouse, set against a dark background.
Subject & Meaning
The painting's central subject is a bouquet of flowers, emphasizing beauty and simplicity. The inclusion of a mouse and insects may allude to the transience of life, a common theme in 17th-century Dutch still lifes, contrasting with the enduring beauty of the floral arrangement.
Technique & Style
Van Fornenburgh's technique in Flowers showcases his ability to create depth and contrast by setting the brightly colored flowers and lush greenery against a somber, dark backdrop. The style reflects the influence of contemporaries like Balthasar van der Ast and Jacob de Gheyn II, characteristic of the Dutch Golden Age's floral still life genre.
History & Provenance
Created in 1636, Flowers is part of the collection at Statens Museum for Kunst. Van Fornenburgh, active in several Dutch cities including The Hague, Amsterdam, and Vianen, was a member of the Confrerie Pictura from 1629.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Baptist van Fornenburgh (1585 in Antwerp – 1650 in the Hague) was a Dutch Golden Age flower painter.
