(Antwerp 1640–1691)
A red and white tulip, roses, carnations, bindweeds, blackberries, an azalea, and other flowers in a glass vase together with butterflies and other insects, on a stone ledge,
oil on canvas, 45 x 36.5 cm, framed

We are grateful to Fred Meijer for confirming the attribution of the present painting on the basis of a photograph. He dates the work in the first half of the 1670s.

The present work is a refined example of the highly popular floral still life that flourished in the seventeenth century Low Countries and remained popular in both the Dutch Republic and the Spanish Netherlands. On a stone ledge a small round vase is placed against a dark background. Amongst the colourful array of flowers, two pink roses and a red and white tulip stand out. At the time of the painting’s execution, the extraordinary high prices for the tulip bulbs, creating the first speculative bubble, better known as the ‘tulip mania’ had long passed. However, the flower remained highly sought after. Amidst the floral splendour, we see various insects flying or crawling amongst the flowers, referring to the lurking possible decay of the bouquet.

There are no records of the Antwerp artist Nicolaes van Veerendael sojourning abroad or working in different European cities other than his birthplace. Trained by his father, Willem van Veerendael, Nicolaes joined the Guild of St Luke in 1657. Mostly known and appreciated for his flower still lifes, the artist painted allegorical scenes with monkeys in the style of Jan Brueghel I and David Teniers II as well. In his early career, Veerendael’s flower arrangements are smaller in size and represent elegantl flower bouquets in vases. Collaborating with artists such as Erasmus Quellinus and Jan Davidsz. De Heem, the latter in particular was especially influential in Veerendael’s later works. From 1670 onwards, insects and elements of vanities are included in the artist’s compositions, reminiscent of the works of De Heem. The present painting is a fine example of this development.