Rachel Ruysch, 'Flowers in a Glass Vase with a Tulip', 1716

Ruysch’s flower paintings are full of movement. She combines minute detail with a sense of the bouquet as an organic whole. Here, blooms are on the verge of opening, the striped canary grass undulates and the honeysuckle seems to lean forward towards the viewer. These effects became more pronounced during the course of Ruysch’s long career.

A magnificent tulip crowns the top of this colorful structure. The deep chiaroscuro recalls Ruysch’s earlier productions, but the main difference between this painting and the Flowers in a Vase lies in the sense of profusion which is typical of the artist’s later works. In 1708 her exceptional talent was rewarded with a prestigious appointment as court painter to the Elector Palatine in Düsseldorf.