Artwork
A basket of flowers
A basket of flowers is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Jan Brueghel, the elder. It dates from 1606 and is held in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a lavish still life arrangement of various flowers, specifically including roses and tulips, contained within a basket and a tazza.
The work depicts a lavish still life arrangement of various flowers, specifically including roses and tulips, contained within a basket and a tazza. As a floral painting, the composition focuses entirely on the botanical subjects and the vessels holding them. The sources identify the genre and the specific elements portrayed but do not provide further details regarding specific iconographic symbolism or the deeper representational meaning intended by the artist.
Technique & Style
This floral painting is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel support. The work measures 54.4 cm in height and 75.7 cm in width. Stylistically, the composition depicts a dense arrangement of flowers, including roses and tulips, contained within a basket and a tazza.
The piece is classified as a floral painting, showcasing the artist's focus on botanical subjects through the medium of oil.
History & Provenance
A Basket of Flowers is an oil-on-panel painting by Jan Brueghel the Elder, measuring 54.4 by 75.7 cm. The work entered the Fitzwilliam Museum's collection through the bequest of Major the Hon. Henry Rogers Broughton, Second Lord Fairhaven; the bequest was made in 1973, with the painting formally received by the museum in 1975 under accession number PD.22-1975.
The sources do not document the original commission, an earlier ownership chain prior to Lord Fairhaven, or a specific creation date for the painting.
The painting A Basket of Flowers is held in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum, where it is catalogued under the accession number PD.22-1975. It entered the museum in 1975 as a bequest from Major the Hon. Henry Rogers Broughton, Second Lord Fairhaven. The work was previously owned by the same benefactor and was acquired by the museum in 1973, subsequently being displayed in various exhibitions of European still-life painting at the institution.
Overview
Created circa 1606 by Jan Brueghel the Elder, this oil painting presents a meticulously arranged still life typical of early‑17th‑century Flemish Baroque. A woven basket overflows with roses, poppies and other blossoms, while a golden tazza cup holds a secondary bouquet. The darkened tabletop background heightens the vivid hues, and the work now belongs to the Fitzwilliam Museum’s collection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Brueghel the Elder ( BROY-gəl, US also BROO-gəl; Dutch:; 1568 – 13 January 1625) was a Flemish painter and draughtsman.
