Artwork
Flowers in a Grotesque Vase
Flowers in a Grotesque Vase is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Orsola Maddalena Caccia. It dates from 1635 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
By presenting these elements together, the piece conveys the genre's focus on natural forms and invites reflection on the fleeting nature of material beauty.
The painting shows a grotesque vase filled with assorted blossoms, including a peach and a tulip, arranged in a typical still-life composition. Its iconography centers on the inclusion of flowers, a tulip, and a peach within the vessel, emphasizing natural abundance. The work is classified as a still life from 1635, executed in oil on canvas, and housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
By presenting these elements together, the piece conveys the genre's focus on natural forms and invites reflection on the fleeting nature of material beauty.
Technique & Style
Flowers in a Grotesque Vase is executed in oil on canvas, a support and medium consistent with seventeenth-century Italian still-life practice. The composition is classified as a still life, presenting a floral arrangement that includes tulips, peaches, and additional flowers set within a vase of grotesque form. The handling reflects the genre conventions of the period, the oil medium allowing for the layered rendering of petals and fruit surfaces.
The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is catalogued as a painting dating to 1635.
History & Provenance
Flowers in a Grotesque Vase was created by the Italian artist Orsola Maddalena Caccia in 1635. Executed in oil on canvas, the work is a still life depicting floral arrangements, including tulips and peaches, within a decorative vessel. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it was accessioned in 2020 under the number 2020.263.1.
While the specific commission and full chain of ownership prior to the museum's acquisition are not detailed in the available records, the work's creation date is firmly established as 1635.
Overview
This oil painting, titled Flowers in a Grotesque Vase, presents a still life composition centered on a unique floral arrangement. The work is characterized by its depiction of a distinctive vessel holding an assortment of blooms, complemented by a single piece of fruit. It is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, offering a glimpse into a specific artistic approach to the genre.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Orsola Maddalena Caccia, born Theodora Caccia (1596–1676) was an Italian mannerist painter and Catholic nun. She painted religious images, altarpieces, and still lifes.
