Bouquet of Flowers in a Roemer

A single vase of flowers stands in a roemer glass against a deep, dark background, each bloom painted with the precision of a botanist and the care of a jeweller. Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder was the founder of the great Dutch flower-piece tradition, and this small panel shows why his work was treasured: tulips and roses, irises and carnations crowd together in perfect symmetry, their petals catching light from a single source. Flowers of every season bloom together in a bouquet that could never exist in nature — a painted paradise of order and colour.