Flora was painted by Jan Matsys in 1559.

Where can I see Flora?

Flora is held by Hamburger Kunsthalle.

What movement is Flora?

Flora is associated with Mannerism.

Can I buy a print of Flora?

Museum-quality prints of Flora are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Flora

Jan Matsys , 1559

Flora is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Jan Matsys. It dates from 1559 and is held in the collection of the Hamburger Kunsthalle. Jan Massys completed an oil painting on wood in 1559 that today belongs to the Hamburger Kunsthalle.

About this work

Overview

Jan Massys completed an oil painting on wood in 1559 that today belongs to the Hamburger Kunsthalle. The work presents the Roman deity Flora seated in a garden, holding a modest bouquet of red and white carnations. Behind her, a distant view of Antwerp’s harbor on the Scheldt River unfolds, linking the figure to the city’s landscape.

Subject & Meaning

Flora, the goddess associated with flowers and abundance, is shown in a tranquil pose, offering the carnations—symbols of love and good fortune—to the viewer. The composition aligns her blessing with the serene vista of Antwerp, suggesting an allegorical celebration of the city’s peace and prosperity during the mid‑sixteenth century.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil on a wooden panel, the painting reflects Massys’s skill in rendering the female nude, a genre for which he was known. The handling of the figure bears the elegant, elongated qualities of the Fontainebleau school, while the landscape elements display a more precise, Northern approach, possibly contributed by a specialist.

History & Provenance

Created in 1559, the canvas entered the collection of the Hamburger Kunsthalle, where it remains on display. Documentation links the work to the artist’s mature period, and its acquisition history traces back to the museum’s 20th‑century efforts to assemble Flemish Baroque holdings.

Context

The depiction of Antwerp’s port situates the painting within a civic context, reflecting the city’s economic vitality on the Scheldt. Jan Massys’s brother, Cornelis Massys, a recognized landscape painter, may have supplied the background, illustrating a collaborative family practice common among Flemish workshops of the era.