Artwork
Bouquet of Flowers in a Stone Niche
Bouquet of Flowers in a Stone Niche is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Ambrosius Bosschaert. It dates from 1618 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Technique & Style
As a representative example of the floral painting genre, the piece features a bouquet of flowers arranged within a stone niche.
Executed in 1618, this floral painting by Ambrosius Bosschaert utilizes oil paint applied to a copper support. The work measures 55.5 cm in height and 39.5 cm in width. As a representative example of the floral painting genre, the piece features a bouquet of flowers arranged within a stone niche.
The selection of copper as a substrate was a deliberate material choice often employed to achieve fine detail and luminosity in still-life compositions of this period.
History & Provenance
Bouquet of Flowers in a Stone Niche was painted by Ambrosius Bosschaert in 1618 on copper, a work now held by the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen. The painting entered the museum's collection as part of the institution's early acquisitions of Dutch and Flemish floral works, reflecting the 17th‑century market for botanical subjects. Its creation coincides with the artist's mature period, when he specialized in detailed still‑life compositions on metal supports, a technique documented in contemporary guild records.
Bouquet of Flowers in a Stone Niche (1618) by Ambrosius Bosschaert is held by the Statens Museum for Kunst in Denmark, which is listed as both its collection and its location. The work is an oil painting executed on copper, measuring 55.5 cm in height by 39.5 cm in width. No specific inventory or accession number, and no exhibition history, is documented in the available sources. identifies the holding institution and the work's physical dimensions, while corroborates the artist, date, and medium.
Overview
Created in 1618 by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder, this copper‑painted still life presents a densely arranged bouquet within a stone niche. The composition balances a variety of blossoms, some turned outward, others receding, and includes a few insects among the foliage. The work is part of the Statens Museum for Kunst’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The painting focuses on a luxuriant assembly of flowering plants set in a decorative vase that widens at the base and narrows toward the rim. The careful placement of each bloom, together with the presence of insects, underscores the fleeting beauty of nature and the artist’s interest in botanical observation.
Context
During the early 17th century, Middelburg emerged as a hub for flower painting, largely due to the Bosschaert family’s workshop and commercial activities. This work exemplifies the period’s fascination with exotic botanicals and the scientific cataloguing of plant species, reflecting both artistic and commercial interests of the Dutch Golden Age.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder (18 January 1573 – 1621) was a Flemish-born Dutch still life painter and art dealer.
