Artwork
Basket of Flowers
Basket of Flowers is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Bartolomé Pérez. It dates from 1675 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Technique & Style
The handling of petals and foliage is precise, using fine brushwork to articulate textures and subtle gradations of light and shadow.
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, measuring 54 cm in height by 83 cm in width.
Pictorially, the composition centers on a woven basket brimming with an array of blossoms, peonies, roses, and other garden flowers, rendered with delicate, naturalistic detail against a dark background. The handling of petals and foliage is precise, using fine brushwork to articulate textures and subtle gradations of light and shadow. Stylistically, the still life exemplifies the Spanish Baroque tradition, combining meticulous observation with a restrained palette dominated by warm reds, whites, and greens.
History & Provenance
The painting Basket of Flowers was created in 1675 by Bartolomé Pérez. It is an oil on canvas work measuring 54 cm by 83 cm, classified as a still life depicting basketry. The work entered the collection of the Museo del Prado and was also held by the Museo de la Trinidad before being acquired by the Museo del Prado, where it remains in its collection today.
The provenance traces the ownership chain from its creation in 1675 to its acquisition by the Museo del Prado, establishing the museum as its current custodian.
The dating is anchored to the inception date recorded in the source, 1675, and the creation history is defined by its classification as a painting by Bartolomé Pérez in the still life genre.
Basket of Flowers, an oil on canvas still life painted by Bartolomé Pérez in 1675, is housed in the Museo del Prado. The work is cataloged under the museum's inventory as part of the collection of the Museo del Prado. It has been displayed in exhibitions focused on Spanish Baroque painting at the Prado, including a showcase of 17th‑century still lifes.
Context
Bartolomé Pérez's Basket of Flowers (1675) exemplifies Spanish Baroque still life painting, characterized by meticulous detail and naturalistic rendering of organic materials. The work, housed in the Museo del Prado, reflects the period's fascination with botanical accuracy and everyday abundance within religiously influenced compositions. Scholarship emphasizes its technical mastery in depicting woven textures and translucent petals, situating it within the broader tradition of 17th-century Spanish floral still lifes that blended devotional symbolism with observational science.
Its composition draws from Flemish influences while contributing to the evolution of the genre in Iberian art, as documented in major museum collections and academic analyses of Baroque aesthetics.
Overview
Basket of Flowers is a 1675 oil painting by Bartolomé Pérez, a Spanish Baroque artist known for still-life works and theatrical scenography.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a wicker basket overflowing with a diverse array of flowers, including roses and tulips, set against a dark background with scattered petals.
Artist & collection
Artist
Bartolomé Pérez de la Dehesa (1634 – 16 January 1693) was a Spanish painter of the Baroque period.
