Artwork
Blumen in Glasvase
Blumen in Glasvase is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Jan Pauwel Gillemans the Younger. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
About this work
Overview
Jan Pauwel Gillemans the Younger’s 1660 oil painting *Blumen in Glasvase* presents a bouquet of white, pink and yellow flowers arranged in a transparent vase.
Jan Pauwel Gillemans the Younger’s 1660 oil painting *Blumen in Glasvase* presents a bouquet of white, pink and yellow flowers arranged in a transparent vase. The composition rests on a dark surface, the muted background emphasizing the delicate petals, stems and leaves that appear in various stages of opening. The work exemplifies the Flemish Baroque interest in detailed, naturalistic still lifes.
Subject & Meaning
The painting focuses on a transient moment in nature, capturing the fleeting beauty of blossoms as they transition from bud to full bloom. By juxtaposing fully opened flowers with those still closed, Gillemans hints at the cycles of growth and decay, a common theme in 17th‑century still‑life symbolism that invites contemplation of life's impermanence.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the artist employs a restrained palette of soft whites, pinks, yellows and verdant greens, rendered with fine brushwork that conveys the texture of petals and the translucency of the glass vase. The dark, almost velvety background isolates the arrangement, a compositional device typical of Flemish Baroque still lifes that heightens visual contrast.
History & Provenance
Born in Antwerp in 1651, Gillemans the Younger built his career on floral and fruit still lifes, often collaborating with figure painters to embed his arrangements in mythological settings. His itinerant work took him to Middelburg, London and Amsterdam before he returned to Antwerp, where he died in 1704. The painting reflects the period’s cross‑regional artistic exchanges.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Pauwel Gillemans the Younger
Jan Pauwel Gillemans the Younger (Antwerp, baptized 3 September 1651 - Antwerp, buried 20 March 1704) was a Flemish still life painter.
A Bouquet of Flowers in a Crystal Vase
A vase of flowers
Blumenstillleben in Glasvase mit Libelle auf Tisch
Still life with flowers in a glass vase
Vase of Flowers
Still Life of a Vase with Flowers
Vase of Flowers
Glass Vase with Flowers on a Stone Ledge
Flowers in a Vase
Bouquet of Flowers
Vase of Flowers
Blumen in Glasvase mit Entwicklung der Seidenraupe