A Vase of Flowers

Margaretha Haverman created A Vase of Flowers in 1716, as indicated by the signed and dated inscription 'Margareta Haverman fecit / A 1716.' The painting was initially owned by Louis Fould, and later by William T. Blodgett, a founding trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Blodgett purchased the work in 1871 as part of an acquisition of 174 European paintings, paying 2,100 francs for it; a pendant piece, sold for 2,050 francs, is now lost.

The painting entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection through this purchase and remains there. Only one other signed work by Haverman is known, housed in the Statens Museum for Kunst.

A Vase of Flowers is housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was acquired in 1871 as part of the initial purchase of 174 paintings by William T. Blodgett, a founding donor and trustee of the museum, for a sum of 2,100 francs. The painting is signed and dated by Margaretha Haverman. No inventory or accession number is recorded in the provided sources, and no exhibition history is documented.

Critical reception of Haverman is scarce; the main biographical source remains Jan van Gool's eighteenth-century account, and only two signed works survive (this painting and one in the Statens Museum for Kunst). Delia Gaze's 1997 study noted that the Metropolitan Museum acquired the work for 2100 francs in 1871, crediting trustee William T. Blodgett with investing in a female artist. Art historically, the painting belongs to the Dutch and Flemish flower still-life tradition popular among women painters of the period.

Haverman trained under Jan van Huysum, whose guarded technique and characteristic 'niche' setting are evident here. A comparable work by Ottmar Elliger once bore a forged Rachel Ruysch signature, illustrating the market hierarchy of the time. Haverman's technique, including a yellow lake pigment that has faded to blue, influenced followers such as Francina Margaretha van Huysum and Cornelia van der Mijn.

A Vase of Flowers is an oil painting from 1716 by the Dutch artist Margaretha Haverman. This still life features an elaborate floral arrangement presented within a stone niche. The work is signed and dated by the artist, and it is currently part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It stands as a notable example of 18th-century Dutch flower painting.

Haverman's composition presents an idealized and exuberant bouquet, featuring a symmetrical display of various blossoms like roses, tulips, irises, and poppies. These flowers, which naturally bloom at different times of the year, are depicted together in full blossom. This arrangement creates a visually harmonious yet botanically impossible grouping, transcending strict naturalism for artistic effect.