Paintings by Dutch artists flowers. Secret signs of Dutch still life
Dutch still life also inspires modern artists; at one time it was a kind of breakthrough that could not go unnoticed. Dutch still life is interesting not only to art connoisseurs, I invite you to enjoy the paintings and history.
Dutch still life had several directions, for example, images of game and dead birds were very popular; this belonged to the category “Hunting trophies”. Now it seems to me that these still lifes are not very pleasant for the “amateur” to look at animal carcasses, but in the 17th century this was viewed more simply.
Melchior de Hondecoeter "Hunting Trophies"
Another direction of Dutch still life is “Breakfast” and “Desserts”, images of cooked food, which is more pleasant; often seafood, poultry, and an abundance of fruits could be seen in the paintings.
BALTHASAR VAN DER AST “Plate with fruits and shells” 1630 g
The most pleasing movement of Dutch still life of the 17th century was Flowers and Fruits, which could be depicted together in one painting, almost always depicting insects, often butterflies.
BALTHASAR VAN DER AST “Still life with fruit”
The Dutch still life had a symbolic meaning, it was not just an image of products, flowers, etc. the main idea that was characteristic of the Dutch still life of that time was the transience of everything earthly and the inevitability of death. With the help of symbolic objects such as: a clock, fading roses, a candle, the artists said that nothing lasts forever in this world. In addition, some objects pointed to habits condemned by morality, such as a smoking pipe, or to intrigue through writing, music tools, etc. Unfortunately, in modern painting the symbolism is lost and even experts in painting cannot explain the meaning of all the symbols of Dutch painting of the 17th century. And in those distant times, the Dutch gathered in the evenings in the house of the owner of the still life, looked at it and discussed what this or that means another symbol: a faded laurel wreath - the transience of glory, coins - vanity, etc.
Jan Davids de Heem 
Jan Davids de Heem
Please note that in the paintings of Dutch artists of the 17th century, flowers seem to be drawn from life, but this was not always the case, because the compositions consist of plants flowering and fruiting at different times. During the flowering period of the plant, the artists carefully painted it in different lighting conditions, from different angles etc., this was a blank that artists then used repeatedly in their still lifes. In order to enrich their still lifes, Dutch artists went to make drawings of flowers in the gardens of famous flower lovers in Amsterdam, Brussels, Leiden, etc.
Floral still lifes in Holland were popular among nobles and nobility; almost every floral still life of the 17th century in Holland included tulips, at that time the country was experiencing a tulip boom. They could mortgage a house for a rare tulip bulb; growing tulips was considered the privilege of aristocrats. There is a known case when a miller exchanged his mill for one tulip bulb; a tulip bulb was considered a good dowry. Tulips at that time were one-color, less often two-colored. Now you can understand why tulips are often found in still lifes of Dutch artists.
Jan Davids de Heem 
Jan Davids de Heem
One of the most famous artists who painted Dutch still life was Jan Davids de Heem; his paintings were very popular. His paintings were distinguished by rich colors, realism, and a high degree of color transparency.
Some of the most beautiful Dutch still lifes by Jan Davids de Heem.
A unique cultural phenomenon XVII century is called the Dutch floral still life, which had a significant influence on the entire further development of painting in Europe.
Lovingly and carefully, artists discovered the beauty of nature and the world of things, showing their richness and diversity. Bouquets of roses, forget-me-nots and tulips by Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder, who became the founder of floral still life painting as an independent movement, charm and attract the eye.
ABROSIUS BOSCHART THE ELDER 1573-1621
Bosschaert began his career in Antwerp in 1588. From 1593 to 1613 he worked in Middelburg, then in Utrecht (from 1616) and in Breda.
On Bosshart's canvases, butterflies or shells are often depicted next to bouquets of flowers. In many cases, flowers are touched by withering, which introduces an allegorical motif of the frailty of existence into Bosshart’s paintings ( vanitas)
Tulips, roses, white and pink carnations, forget-me-nots and other flowers in a vase.
At first glance, the bouquets seem to be painted from nature, but upon closer inspection it becomes obvious that they are made up of plants that bloom at different times. The impression of naturalness and verisimilitude arises due to the fact that the images of individual colors are based on individual natural “studies”
An enlarged fragment of a sketch by Jan Van Huysum, which is kept at the Met.
Jan Baptiste von Fornenbruch. Sered. 17th century
This was the usual working method for flower still life painters. Artists made careful drawings in watercolor and gouache, drawing flowers from life, from different angles and under different lighting, and these drawings then served them repeatedly - they repeated them in paintings.
Jacob Morrel. "Two Tulips"
Drawings by other artists, engravings from printed collections and botanical atlases were also used as working material.
Customers, nobles and burghers, appreciated in still lifes that the depicted flowers were “as if they were alive.” But these images were not naturalistic. They are romantic and poetic. Nature in them is transformed by painting.
Still life with flowers in a vase 1619
“Portraits” of flowers, painted on parchment in watercolor and gouache, were created for floristic albums in which gardeners sought to immortalize strange plants. Images of tulips are especially numerous. Almost every Dutch still life contains tulips.
Ambrosius Bosshart "Flowers in a Vase". 1619.Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
In the 17th century There was a real tulip boom in Holland; sometimes a house was mortgaged for a rare tulip bulb.
Tulips came to Europe in 1554. They were sent to Augsburg by the German ambassador to the Turkish court, Busbeck. During his travels around the country, he was fascinated by the sight of these delicate flowers.
Soon tulips spread to France and England, Germany and Holland. The owners of tulip bulbs in those days were truly rich people - people of royal blood or those close to them. In Versailles, special celebrations were held in honor of the development of new varieties.
Still life with flowers.
Not only Dutch nobles, but also ordinary burghers could afford to own beautiful still lifes.
The number of Dutch flower still lifes is huge, but this does not detract from their artistic value. After the auctions, when the economic situation of Holland became less than brilliant, picturesque collections from the houses of burghers ended up in the palaces of European nobles and kings.
Bouquet of flowers 1920
In the center of this bouquet we see a crocus, but it is huge. A little information about this flower that is familiar to us.
Crocus is a medicinal plant, aphrodisiac and dye. Its stamens are used to make an excellent spice - saffron, which is added to oriental sweets. The birthplace of the crocus is Greece and Asia Minor. Just like hyacinths and lilies, the crocus became a hero of the myths of the ancient Greeks and was depicted in the subjects of palace paintings.
According to ancient legend, the earth was covered with hyacinths and crocuses for the wedding and first wedding night of Hera and Zeus.
Another legend describes the story of a young man named Crocus, who with his beauty attracted the attention of a nymph, but remained indifferent to her beauty. Then the goddess Aphrodite turned the young man into a flower and the nymph into a bindweed, thereby creating an inseparable union.
Flowers in a glass vase.
The desire of artists to diversify the composition of their bouquets forced them to travel to different cities and make full-scale drawings in the gardens of flower lovers in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Brussels, Haarlem, and Leiden. Artists also had to wait for the changing seasons to capture the desired flower.
Flowers. 1619
Flowers in a Chinese vase.
Flowers in a basket.
Still life with flowers in a niche.
Flowers in a niche.
In fruit and flower still lifes, a seemingly random combination of apparently unrelated representatives of flora and fauna indirectly embodied ideas about the perishable sinfulness of all earthly things and, on the contrary, the incorruptibility of true Christian virtue.
Almost every “character” of the still life in a complex language of symbols denoted a certain idea: the mortality of everything earthly (for example, a lizard or a snail), the stupid sinfulness and frailty of human life, which a tulip, in particular, could symbolize.
Flowers in a glass vase.1606
According to the ideas of the Flemings and Dutch, this delicate flower was not only a visible embodiment of quickly fading beauty, but its cultivation was also perceived by many as one of the most vain and selfish professions);
Exotic overseas shells, once a fashionable collectible, hinted at unwise spending of money; a monkey with a peach has traditionally been considered a symbol of Original Sin.
Still life with flowers in a green glass bottle.
On the other hand, a fly on the same peach or rose usually evoked associations with the symbolism of death, evil and sin; grapes and broken walnuts - hinted at the Fall and, at the same time, the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross, Red berries of ripe cherries - a symbol of Divine love, while a fluttering butterfly personifies the saved soul of the righteous.
Basket.
The artistic direction of Ambrosius Bosschaert was continued to be developed by his three sons - Ambrosius Bosschaert the Younger, Abraham Bosschaert and Johannes Bosschaert, as well as his son-in-law Balthasar van der Ast. Their works, generally quite numerous, are invariably in demand at art auctions.
Sources.
Despite the fact that the name of the genre translated from French means “dead nature”. Why, in the mouths of the Dutch, did compositions of inanimate objects, colorfully displayed on canvas, signify life? Yes, these images were so bright, reliable and expressive that even the most inexperienced connoisseurs admired the realism and tangibility of the details. But it's not just that.
Dutch still life is an attempt to talk about how alive and closely every object is, every particle of this world is woven into the complex world of man and participates in it. Dutch masters created brilliant compositions and were able to so accurately depict the shape, color tints, volume and texture of objects that they seemed to store the dynamics of human actions. Here is a pen that has not yet cooled down from the poet’s hand with a glittering drop of ink, here is a cut pomegranate dripping with ruby juice, and here is a loaf bitten and thrown onto a crumpled napkin... And at the same time, this is an invitation to enchantedly admire and enjoy the splendor and diversity of nature.
Themes and picturesque images
Dutch still life is inexhaustible in its abundance of themes. Some painters shared a passion for flowers and fruits, others specialized in the rough verisimilitude of pieces of meat and fish, others lovingly created kitchen utensils on canvas, and others devoted themselves to the theme of science and art.
Dutch still life from the early 17th century is distinguished by its commitment to symbolism. Objects have a strictly defined place and meaning. The apple in the center of the image tells the story of the fall of the first man, while the bunch of grapes covering it tells the story of the atoning sacrifice of Christ. An empty shell, which once served as a home for a sea mollusk, speaks of the frailty of life, drooping and dried flowers - of death, and a butterfly fluttering out of a cocoon heralds resurrection and renewal. Balthasar Ast writes in this manner.
Artists of the new generation have proposed a slightly different Dutch still life. Painting “breathes” with the elusive charm hidden in ordinary things. A half-filled glass, serving items scattered on the table, fruits, a cut pie - the authenticity of the details is perfectly conveyed by color, light, shadows, highlights and reflections, convincingly associated with the texture of fabric, silver, glass and food. These are the paintings of Pieter Claes Heda.
By the early 18th century, Dutch still life gravitated toward an impressive aesthetic of detail. Elegant porcelain bowls with gilding, goblets made of intricately curled shells, and fruits exquisitely arranged on a dish reign here. It is impossible to look at the canvases of Willem Kalf or Abraham van Beyeren without fading. Dutch, captured by the hand of a master, is becoming unusually widespread, speaking a special, sensual language and imparting harmony and rhythm to the painting. The lines, weaves and shades of stems, buds, open inflorescences present in the still life seem to create a complex symphony, forcing the viewer not only to admire, but also to excitedly experience the incomprehensible beauty of the world.
Today we will meet one of the best masters of Dutch luxurious still life, WILLEM KALF 1619-1693
Willem Kalf was the sixth child in the family of a wealthy Rotterdam cloth merchant and member of the Rotterdam city council. Willem's father died in 1625, when the boy was 6 years old. The mother continued the family business, but without much success.
There is no information about which artist Kalf studied with; perhaps his teacher was Hendrik Poth from Haarlem, where the Kalfs' relatives lived. Shortly before the death of his mother in 1638, Willem left his hometown and moved to The Hague, and then in 1640-41. settled in Paris.
There, thanks to their " peasant interiors", written in the Flemish tradition, close to the work of David Teniers and other artists of the 17th century, Kalf quickly gained recognition.
In his rustic interiors, human figures were more in the background, and all the viewer's attention was concentrated on well-lit, colorful and artfully laid out fruits, vegetables and various household items.
Here he created a new form of artfully grouped still life with expensive, richly decorated objects (mostly bottles, plates, glasses) made of light-reflecting materials - gold, silver, tin or glass. This artist’s skill reached its peak in the Amsterdam period of his work in the mesmerizing “ LUXURY STILL LIFE»
Still life with a drinking horn belonging to the Guild of Archers of St. Sebastian, a lobster and glasses - Willem Kalf. Around 1653.
This still life is one of the most famous.
It was created in 1565 for the guild of Amsterdam archers. When the artist worked on this still life, the horn was still in use during guild meetings.
This wonderful vessel is made of buffalo horn, the fastening is made of silver, if you look closely, you can see miniature figures of people in the design of the horn - this scene tells us about the suffering of St. Sebastian, patron of archers.
The tradition of adding peeled lemon to Rhine wine came from the fact that the Dutch considered this type of wine too sweet.
The lobster, the wine horn with its sparkling silver filigree rim, the clear glasses, the lemon and the Turkish carpet are rendered with such amazing care that the illusion arises that they are real and can be touched with your hand.
The placement of each item is chosen with such care that the group as a whole forms a harmony of color, shape and texture. The warm light that envelops the objects gives them the dignity of precious jewelry, and their rarity, splendor and whimsy reflect the refined tastes of Dutch collectors in the 17th century, a time when still life paintings were extremely popular.
Still life with a jug and fruit. 1660
In 1646, Willem Kalf returned to Rotterdam for some time, then moved to Amsterdam and Hoorn, where in 1651 he married Cornelia Plouvier, daughter of a Protestant minister.
Cornelia was a famous calligrapher and poetess, she was friends with Constantijn Huygens, the personal secretary of the three stadtholders of the young Dutch Republic, a respected poet and probably the most experienced expert in the world theatrical and musical arts of her time.
In 1653, the couple moved to Amsterdam, where they had four children. Despite his wealth, Kalf never acquired his own home.
Still life with a teapot.
During the Amsterdam period, Kalf began to include exotic objects in his perfect still lifes: Chinese vases, shells and hitherto unseen tropical fruits - half-peeled oranges and lemons. These items were brought to the Netherlands from America; they were favorite objects of prestige for the wealthy burghers, who flaunted their wealth.
Still life with nautilus and Chinese bowl.
The Dutch loved and understood a good interior, comfortable table setting, where everything you need is at hand, convenient utensils - in the material world that surrounds a person.
In the center we see an elegant nautilus cup made from a shell, as well as a beautiful Chinese vase. On the outside it is decorated with eight relief figures representing the eight immortals in Taoism, the cone on the lid is the outline of a Buddhist lion.
This still life is complemented by a traditional Kalfa Persian carpet and a lemon with a thin spiral of peel.
The pyramid of objects drowns in a haze of twilight, sometimes only light reflections indicate the shape of things. Nature created a shell, a craftsman turned it into a goblet, an artist painted a still life, and we enjoy all this beauty. After all, being able to see beauty is also a talent.
Still life with a glass goblet and fruit. 1655.
Like all still lifes of that time, Kalf’s creations were intended to express the iconographic idea of frailty - “memento mori” (“remember death”), to serve as a warning that all things, living and inanimate, are ultimately transitory.
Still life with fruit and a nautilus cup.1660g
For Kalf, however, something else was important. All his life he had a keen interest in the play of light and light effects on various materials, from the texture of woolen carpets, the bright shine of metal objects made of gold, silver or tin, the soft glow of porcelain and multi-colored shells, and ending with the mysterious shimmer of the edges of the most beautiful glasses and vases in Venetian style.
Still life with a Chinese tureen.
Dessert. Hermitage.
Before entering the Hermitage in 1915, the painting “Dessert” was part of the collection of the famous Russian geographer and traveler P. P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, a great connoisseur and lover of Dutch and Flemish art.
A bright beam of light pulls out from the semi-darkness a bowl of fruit, a peach on a silver tray and a crumpled white tablecloth. The glass and silver goblets still reflect the light, and the thin flute glass filled with wine almost blends into the background.
The artist masterfully conveys the texture of each item: a glass, a painted faience plate, a gilded goblet, an oriental carpet, a snow-white napkin. In the picture one can feel the strong influence that Rembrandt’s painting had on Kalfa: objects are shown against a dark background, the bright light seems to revive them, enveloping them in the warmth of golden rays.
Still Life with a Porcelain Vase, Silver-gilt Ewer, and Glasses
Pronk Still Life with Holbein Bowl, Nautilus Cup, Glass Goblet and Fruit Dish
The composition of Kalf's still lifes, thought out to the smallest detail, is ensured not only by specific rules, but also by unique and complex directionSveta.
Valuable objects—cut goblets, often half filled with wine—appear from the darkness of the background gradually, after some time. Often their shape is only surprisingly guessed in the reflection of rays of light. No one except Kalf managed to show the light penetrating through the nautilus shell so realistically. Absolutely rightly, Kalf is called the “Vermeer of still life painting,” and in some places Kalf surpassed him.
Since 1663 Kalf wrote less, he took up the art trade and became a sought-after art expert.
Willem Kalf died at the age of 74, injured in a fall on the way home while returning from a visit.
Thanks to his unique visual abilities, coupled with his excellent education and extensive knowledge of the natural sciences, he significantly expanded the illusionistic possibilities of still life. His creations are unsurpassed examples of this art.
Willem Claes Hedda. Still life with pie, 1627
The “golden” age of still life was the 17th century, when it finally took shape as an independent genre of painting, especially in the works of Dutch and Flemish artists. At the same time, the term “quiet, frozen life” (Dutch stilleven, German Stilleben, English still-life) appeared to denote still lifes. The first “stillevens” were simple in plot, but even then the objects depicted on them also carried a semantic load: bread, a glass of wine, fish - symbols of Christ, a knife - a symbol of sacrifice, lemon - a symbol of unquenched thirst; nuts in the shell - a soul shackled by sin; the apple is reminiscent of the Fall.
Gradually, the symbolic language of the painting became richer.
Franciscus Geysbrechts, XVII century.
The symbols found on the canvases were intended to remind us of the frailty of human life and the transience of pleasures and achievements:
The skull is a reminder of the inevitability of death.
Rotten fruits are a symbol of aging.
Ripe fruits symbolize fertility, abundance, figuratively wealth and prosperity.
A number of fruits have their own meaning: the Fall is represented by pears, tomatoes, citrus fruits, grapes, peaches and cherries, and of course, the apple. Figs, plums, cherries, apples or peaches have erotic connotations.
Sprouts of grain, branches of ivy or laurel (rarely) are a symbol of rebirth and the cycle of life.
Sea shells, sometimes live snails - a mollusk shell is the remains of a once living animal, it signifies death and mortality.
The creeping snail is the personification of the mortal sin of laziness.
Large clams denote the duality of nature, a symbol of lust, another of the deadly sins.
Soap bubbles - the brevity of life and the suddenness of death; a reference to the expression homo bulla - “a person is a soap bubble.”
A dying, smoking candle (cinder) or oil lamp; cap for extinguishing candles - a burning candle is a symbol of the human soul, its extinguishing symbolizes departure.
Cups, playing cards or dice, chess (rarely) are a sign of an erroneous life goal, a search for pleasure and a sinful life. Equality of opportunity in gambling also meant reprehensible anonymity.
A smoking pipe is a symbol of fleeting and elusive earthly pleasures.
A carnival mask is a sign of the absence of a person inside it. Also intended for festive masquerade, irresponsible pleasure.
Mirrors, glass (mirror) balls - a mirror is a symbol of vanity, in addition, it is also a sign of reflection, shadow, and not a real phenomenon.
Beyeren. Still life with lobster, 1667
Broken dishes, usually glass glasses. An empty glass opposed to a full one symbolizes death.
Glass symbolizes fragility, snow-white porcelain symbolizes purity.
The mortar and pestle are symbols of male and female sexuality.
The bottle is a symbol of the sin of drunkenness.
A knife reminds us of human vulnerability and mortality.
Hourglass and mechanical watches - the transience of time.
Musical instruments, notes - the brevity and ephemeral nature of life, a symbol of the arts.
Books and geographical maps (mappa mundi), a writing pen is a symbol of science. The globe, both the earth and the starry sky.
A palette with tassels, a laurel wreath (usually on the head of a skull) are symbols of painting and poetry.
Letters symbolize human relationships.
Medical instruments are a reminder of the diseases and frailty of the human body.
Wallets with coins, boxes with jewelry - jewelry and cosmetics are intended to create beauty, feminine attractiveness, at the same time they are associated with vanity, narcissism and the mortal sin of arrogance. They also signal the absence of their owners on the canvas.
Weapons and armor are a symbol of power and might, a designation of what cannot be taken with you to the grave.
Crowns and papal tiaras, scepters and orbs, wreaths of leaves are signs of transient earthly domination, which is opposed to the heavenly world order. Like masks, they symbolize the absence of those who wore them.
Keys - symbolize the power of the housewife managing supplies.
Ruins symbolize the transitory life of those who once inhabited them.
Insects, birds and animals were often depicted in still lifes. Flies and spiders, for example, were considered symbols of stinginess and evil, while lizards and snakes were symbols of deceit. Crayfish or lobsters represented adversity or wisdom.
Jacques Andre Joseph Aved. Around 1670.
The book is Sophocles' tragedy “Electra” - in this case, the symbol is multi-valued. By placing it in the composition, the artist reminds of the inevitability of retribution for every crime, not on earth, but in heaven, since it is precisely this thought that permeates the tragedy. The antique motif in such still lifes often symbolized the continuity of art. On the title page is the name of the translator, the famous Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel, whose works on ancient and biblical subjects were so topical that he was even persecuted. It is unlikely that the artist placed Vondel by accident - it is possible that, speaking about the vanity of the world, he decided to mention the vanity of power.
The sword and helmet are the emblem of transitory military glory.
The white and red plume is the compositional center of the picture. Feathers always mean vanity and vanity. The painting is dated based on the plumed helmet. Lodewijk van der Helst depicted him wearing such a helmet in his posthumous portrait of Admiral Stirlingwerf in 1670. The admiral's helmet is present in several more still lifes by van Streck.
Portrait of a sanguine. Unlike oil, sanguine is very poorly preserved, as is paper in contrast to canvas. This sheet speaks of the futility of the artist’s efforts; the frayed and torn edges are intended to reinforce this idea.
Golden fringe is the vanity of luxury.
The skull is an attribute of Kronos (Saturn) in ancient culture, that is, a symbol of time. The Wheel of Fortune was also depicted with a skull. For Christians, it is a sign of worldly vanity, mental contemplation of death, an attribute of hermit life. Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Jerome, Mary Magdalene, and the Apostle Paul were depicted with him. The skull is also a symbol of the eternal life of Christ, crucified on Golgotha, where, according to legend, the skull of Adam was buried. The ear wrapped around the skull is a symbol of the immortality of the soul (“I am the bread of life” - John 6:48), hope for eternal life.
A stack of old papers is the vanity of knowledge.
A powder horn on a chain is a very characteristic subject for Dutch still life. Here it, apparently, should be interpreted as something that brings death, in contrast to the cornucopia
Adrian van Utrecht."Vanitas". 1642.
lilies of the valley, violets, forget-me-nots surrounded by roses, carnations, anemones - symbols of modesty and purity;
a large flower in the center of the composition is the “crown of virtue”;
crumbled petals near the vase are signs of frailty;
a withered flower is a hint of the disappearance of feelings;
irises are a sign of the Virgin Mary;
white roses are platonic love and a symbol of purity;
red roses are a symbol of passionate love and a symbol of the Virgin Mary;
red flowers are a symbol of Christ’s atoning sacrifice;
the white lily is not only a beautiful flower, but also a symbol of the purity of the Virgin Mary;
blue and dark blue flowers are a reminder of the azure sky;
thistle is a symbol of evil;
carnation - a symbol of the shed blood of Christ;
poppy - an allegory of sleep, oblivion, a symbol of one of the deadly sins - laziness;
anemone - help in illness;
tulips - a symbol of quickly disappearing beauty; growing these flowers was considered one of the most vain and futile activities; the tulip also symbolized love, sympathy, mutual understanding; a white tulip - false love, a red tulip - passionate love (in Europe and America, the tulip is associated with spring, light, life, colors and is considered a cozy, welcoming flower; in Iran, Turkey and other countries of the East, the tulip associated with feelings of love and eroticism).
