Artwork
Still-Life with Garland of Flowers and Golden Tazza
Still-Life with Garland of Flowers and Golden Tazza is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Jan Brueghel, the elder. It dates from 1618 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. Created in 1618, this oil painting by Jan Brueghel the Elder presents a meticulously arranged still life.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of the tazza, jewelry, and exotic lacquerware alongside the flowers suggests a theme of abundance and the collection of precious items.
The work depicts a dense floral wreath encircling various luxury objects and artifacts. Within the garland, the composition features a golden tazza, coins, jewelry including a ring and hairpin, as well as a lacquerware box. These elements are arranged to form a still life that combines natural beauty with man-made treasures.
The inclusion of the tazza, jewelry, and exotic lacquerware alongside the flowers suggests a theme of abundance and the collection of precious items.
Technique & Style
Created in 1618, Still-Life with Garland of Flowers and Golden Tazza is executed in oil paint on a support measuring 47.5 cm in height and 52.5 cm in width. The work is classified as a still life and specifically a floral painting, characterized by the detailed depiction of a wreath alongside various luxury objects including a golden tazza, coins, jewelry, and lacquerware. The artist employs the oil medium to render these elements with precision, capturing the textures of hairpins, rings, and boxes within the composition.
This formal approach aligns with the genre's focus on intricate arrangement and the realistic portrayal of diverse materials.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1618 by Jan Brueghel the Elder as an oil on canvas work. It entered the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium and has remained in the Oldmasters Museum in Brussels since its acquisition.
Still-Life with Garland of Flowers and Golden Tazza, painted by Jan Brueghel the Elder in 1618, is held in the collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, where it is housed at the Oldmasters Museum. The work, executed in oil paint and measuring 47.5 by 52.5, is catalogued within the institution's holdings of floral still lifes.
No exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
Legacy
The painting's compositional innovations, especially its intricate floral arrangements and integration of luxury objects, influenced later still-life artists across Europe, particularly in the Dutch Golden Age. Its reputation was bolstered by inclusion in prominent collections such as that of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, where it remained on public display for centuries, establishing it as a benchmark for the genre. The work's detailed rendering of reflective surfaces and naturalistic textures set a standard that subsequent painters studied and emulated, cementing its legacy as a foundational example of early Baroque floral still life.
Overview
Created in 1618, this oil painting by Jan Brueghel the Elder presents a meticulously arranged still life. Central to the composition is a gilded, pedestal‑borne tazza, empty yet surrounded by a lush garland of multicolored blossoms. Adjacent objects, a dark wooden box, a string of pearls, and assorted jewelry, complete the tableau, all rendered with the restrained palette typical of Flemish Baroque interiors.
Context
During the early 1600s, Flemish artists increasingly catered to a wealthy clientele eager for paintings that combined scientific observation with decorative opulence. Brueghel’s still lifes, including this piece, responded to that demand by showcasing exotic flora and finely crafted objects, reflecting both the scientific curiosity and the material aspirations of the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Brueghel the Elder ( BROY-gəl, US also BROO-gəl; Dutch:; 1568 – 13 January 1625) was a Flemish painter and draughtsman.
Museum
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
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