Artwork
Flowers in a glass vase, 1615
Flowers in a glass vase, 1615 is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Roelant Savery. It dates from 1615 and is held in the collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Created in 1615, this small copper painting presents a glass vase brimming with a loose bouquet of carnations and assorted blossoms.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1615, this small copper painting presents a glass vase brimming with a loose bouquet of carnations and assorted blossoms. The arrangement rests on a dark wooden surface, surrounded by scattered petals and leaves that enhance the sense of natural abundance. The composition balances vivid pink, yellow, and white hues against a muted background, offering a calm, intimate still‑life scene.
Subject & Meaning
The work centers on a simple domestic object—a vase—filled with flowers, while a frog and a lizard occupy the foreground. These small creatures, common in Savery’s oeuvre, introduce a subtle reminder of the natural world’s interconnection with cultivated beauty, suggesting themes of transience and the coexistence of flora and fauna.
Technique & Style
Executed on copper, the painting benefits from the metal’s smooth surface, allowing fine, precise brushwork and luminous color modulation. Savery’s rendering is highly realistic, emphasizing texture in petals, glass, and animal skin. The careful handling of light creates a gentle sheen on the vase and a crisp delineation of each element, characteristic of early Dutch still‑life precision.
History & Provenance
Roelant Savery, a Flemish-born artist active in the Dutch Golden Age, produced the piece during his early period in the Netherlands. The painting entered the collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery, where it remains on view, representing an example of Savery’s early copper works and his interest in detailed natural subjects.
Artist & collection
Artist
Roelant Savery (or Roeland(t) Maertensz Saverij, or de Savery, or many variants; 1576 – buried 25 February 1639) was a Flanders-born Dutch Golden Age painter.
