Who painted Two Girls with Flowers by a Statue of Cupid?

Two Girls with Flowers by a Statue of Cupid was painted by Pieter van der Werff in 1713.

Where can I see Two Girls with Flowers by a Statue of Cupid?

Two Girls with Flowers by a Statue of Cupid is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Two Girls with Flowers by a Statue of Cupid?

Two Girls with Flowers by a Statue of Cupid is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Artwork

Two Girls with Flowers by a Statue of Cupid

Pieter van der Werff , 1713

Two Girls with Flowers by a Statue of Cupid is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Pieter van der Werff. It dates from 1713 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Overview

A small, nude male figure—identified as a Cupid statue—stands on a pedestal behind them, holding a wreath, adding a mythological reference to the composition.

Pieter van der Werff’s 1713 oil painting, *Two Girls with Flowers by a Statue of Cupid*, presents a quiet interior scene in which two young women are seated beside a window. One holds a basket brimming with blossoms, while the other rests her arm on the sill. A small, nude male figure—identified as a Cupid statue—stands on a pedestal behind them, holding a wreath, adding a mythological reference to the composition.

Subject & Meaning

The work juxtaposes domestic tranquility with classical allusion. The girls, dressed in refined attire, engage in a gentle exchange, their calm gazes suggesting a shared, perhaps private, sentiment. The presence of Cupid, the god of love, hints at themes of affection or courtship, subtly linking the everyday activity of arranging flowers to the broader notion of romantic desire.

Technique & Style

Van der Werff employs a restrained chiaroscuro, allowing the darkened background to accentuate the luminous skin tones and richly textured fabrics of the figures. The smooth, almost polished surface typical of late Dutch Golden Age painting is evident in the delicate rendering of the flowers, the sheen of silk, and the marble-like quality of the statue’s base.

History & Provenance

Created toward the end of van der Werff’s career, the painting entered the Rijksmuseum’s collection, where it remains on public display. The artist, who often collaborated with his elder brother Adriaen van der Werff—a leading painter of the period—produced this work during a phase when mythological subjects were fashionable among affluent patrons.

Context

The early 18th‑century Dutch market favored refined genre scenes that combined everyday life with classical motifs. Van der Werff’s composition reflects this taste, merging a domestic interior—a common setting for Dutch genre painting—with the allegorical presence of Cupid, a device used to elevate the scene’s symbolic resonance.