Jan van Huysum, 'Glass Vase with Flowers, with a Poppy and a Finch Nest', about 1720-21

The roses in the foreground of this painting, shown in various stages of development, and the poppy anemones in several shades, may have come from van Huysum’s own garden in Amsterdam, which was supplied by flower-growers from nearby Haarlem.

Note how the light passes through the bouquet, creating an unprecedented sense of space. Along a main diagonal axis going from the lower left to the upper right, flowers show subtle distinctions of colour and texture, with variations on white and pink. Van Huysum’s love for his work is perfectly shown by the nuances of green in younger and older leaves, as well as in the clear drops of water that are painted on the leaves. The artist’s accurate depiction of each specimen ensures that even the mosses in the finch’s nest are identifiable.