Artwork
A vase of flowers
A vase of flowers is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Jan van Kessel the Elder. It dates from 1648 and is held in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a still life arrangement of flowers held in a vase, executed in oil on copper by Jan van Kessel the Elder in 1648.
The painting presents a still life arrangement of flowers held in a vase, executed in oil on copper by Jan van Kessel the Elder in 1648. According to the catalogue record, the work depicts flowers and flowering plants gathered in a vase, with a caterpillar also included among the depicted elements. The genre is identified as both a still life and a floral painting, situating the image within the seventeenth-century Flemish tradition of closely observed botanical compositions.
The inclusion of a caterpillar alongside the blossoms is a common motif in flower painting of this period, often functioning as a reminder of the transience of natural beauty and the presence of decay within even the most vivid blooms. By rendering the arrangement on a small copper support, the artist was able to achieve the fine detail that the subject demands, presenting the bouquet as a concentrated study of botanical form.
Technique & Style
Jan van Kessel the Elder executed A Vase of Flowers in 1648 using oil paint applied directly to a copper sheet support. This choice of metal panel, rather than canvas or wood, provided a smooth, non-absorbent surface that allowed for the precise rendering of delicate floral forms and minute details such as a caterpillar. The work measures 27.3 cm in height and 34.2 cm in width, a scale typical for intimate Flemish still lifes of the period.
The painting is classified as a floral still life, characterized by a dense arrangement of flowering plants within a vase. The medium and support combination facilitated a high level of finish and luminosity, hallmarks of the artist's technique in this genre.
History & Provenance
A vase of flowers is an oil painting on copper created in 1648 by Jan van Kessel the Elder. It measures 27.3 x 34.2 cm and was acquired by the Fitzwilliam Museum through the bequest of Major the Hon. Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Lord Fairhaven, in 1975. The work is catalogued under accession number PD.32-1975 and is classified as a still life floral painting.
The painting A Vase of Flowers is held in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum, where it is recorded under accession number PD.32-1975. It entered the museum in 1975 as a bequest from Major the Hon. Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Lord Fairhaven. The work is displayed in the museum's galleries as part of the still-life paintings exhibition history, though specific exhibition titles are not listed in the available records.
Overview
Jan van Kessel the Elder, a 17th‑century Flemish painter working in Antwerp, completed the oil painting A vase of flowers in 1648. Classified as a still life, the work exemplifies the Flemish Baroque style through its meticulous rendering of botanical subjects against a dark backdrop.
Context
The artist belonged to the Brueghel artistic lineage; his grandfather Jan Brueghel the Elder and contemporary Daniel Seghers were influential precedents in the Flemish still‑life tradition. Van Kessel’s work reflects this heritage, continuing the family’s focus on detailed natural studies within the Baroque aesthetic.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan van Kessel the Elder or Jan van Kessel (I) (baptized 5 April 1626, Antwerp – 17 April 1679, Antwerp) was a Flemish painter active in Antwerp in the mid-17th century.
