Jan van Huysum, 'Glass Vase with Flowers, with a Poppy and a Finch Nest', about 1720-21
About the work
Overview
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.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Glass Vase with Flowers, with a Poppy and a Finch Nest
- Artist
- Jan van Huysum
- Artist dates
- 1682 - 1749
- Date made
- about 1720-21
- Medium and support
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 41 × 34 cm
- Inscription summary
- Signed
- Acquisition credit
- On loan from the collection of Janice and Brian Capstick
- Inventory number
- L1209
- Location
- Room 28
- Image copyright
- On loan from the collection of Janice and Brian Capstick, © Photo courtesy of the owner
- Collection
- Main Collection
About this record
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.
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