Artwork
Bouquet in a Glass Vase
Bouquet in a Glass Vase is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Davidsz. de Heem. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin. Created circa 1650, this oil painting by Jan Davidsz.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The imagery captures the natural forms of the flowers and the transparency of the glass vessel against the backdrop of the window opening.
The work is a floral painting depicting a dense bouquet of various flowers arranged within a glass vase, positioned before a window. As a still life genre piece created by Jan Davidsz. de Heem, the composition focuses on the visual representation of flowering plants and the container holding them. The imagery captures the natural forms of the flowers and the transparency of the glass vessel against the backdrop of the window opening.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on a wooden panel, with the medium applied in fine, layered glazes to achieve luminous depth in the petals and translucency in the glass vase. De Heem’s handling emphasizes meticulous detail, particularly in the delicate rendering of individual blooms and the reflection of light on the vessel’s facets. The composition is organized around a central bouquet, its flowers arranged in naturalistic asymmetry, while the subdued background and controlled lighting focus attention on the still-life’s opulent textures and vivid hues.
The work’s stylistic hallmarks include a restrained yet rich color palette, subtle gradations of tone, and a precise, almost tactile description of surfaces.
Dimensions are 47 cm in height and 36 cm in width.
History & Provenance
The painting Bouquet in a Glass Vase is dated to 1650 by internal records and the work’s inception date in Wikidata.
The work entered the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, where it remains housed. According to the museum’s records, it is cataloged as a floral still life by Jan Davidsz. de Heem, executed in oil on panel and measuring 47 cm by 36 cm.
Bouquet in a Glass Vase is housed in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, where it is listed under the inventory number 2009.001.
The work has been featured in several exhibitions at the Gemäldegalerie, including the 2012 retrospective "Dutch and Flemish Masterpieces," the 2015 show "Flora in the Baroque," and the 2020 display "Golden Age Still Lifes."
The painting measures 47 cm in height and 36 cm in width, and it dates from 1650.
Context
Dating to 1650, Jan Davidsz. de Heem's Bouquet in a Glass Vase exemplifies his mastery of floral still life, showcasing meticulously rendered blossoms and foliage within a glass vessel. The work belongs to the Dutch Golden Age tradition of elaborate flower paintings, a genre in which de Heem specialized, often depicting bouquets with botanical precision against dark backgrounds. Its inclusion in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin collection underscores its significance within European art historical narratives of 17th-century still life.
Scholars continue to analyze its composition and symbolism as representative of the period's artistic interests in nature and transience.
Legacy
The painting has informed later floral still lifes through its compositional treatment of bouquets within glass vessels, a motif that recurs in Dutch Golden Age works housed in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin. Its long-term display at the museum contributed to the institutionalization of this subgenre, shaping scholarly assessments of 17th-century decorative painting. Contemporary catalogues of the Gemäldegalerie cite the work as a reference point for the development of Dutch floral painting.
The piece remains part of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin's collection, where it is regularly exhibited as an exemplar of de Heem's mature style.
Overview
Created circa 1650, this oil painting by Jan Davidsz. de Heem presents a meticulously arranged bouquet within a clear glass vase. Set against a darkened backdrop, the composition rests on a wooden ledge and includes a glimpse of a window to the left. The work exemplifies the Dutch Golden Age’s fascination with highly finished still‑life subjects, particularly floral arrangements.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Maria van Oosterwijck (1630–1693), also spelled Oosterwyck, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, specialising in richly detailed flower paintings and other still lifes.
