Vase of Flowers

Tulips, roses, carnations and irises spill from a glass vase on a stone ledge, each bloom set against a dark ground with near-scientific observation. Jan Davidsz de Heem, among the most celebrated still-life painters of the Dutch Golden Age, made this flower piece about 1660, in the Antwerp years when his luxurious bouquets were prized across Europe; the translucent petals, the curling leaves and the small insect on a stem are painted with a delicacy that rewards close looking. The picture descended through the Rothschild family before entering the National Gallery of Art through the Andrew W. Mellon Fund. The painting is held in the National Gallery of Art, Washington.