08/20/2026
Happy 395th Birthday Maria van Oosterwijck! 💐 Born on this day in 1630.
Many of the floral still lifes painted in the Netherlands in the seventeenth century are a compendium of rare and exotic specimens. Artists used real flowers as models, but the bouquet itself was completely imaginary, since the various flowers bloomed at different times of the year.
Two beautifully flamed tulips are featured prominently in Maria van Oosterwijck’s Flower Still Life. Tulips were introduced to the Netherlands just before 1600 and rapidly became the flower most coveted by gardeners and collectors. Unusually patterned examples like those depicted here were especially prized and the bulbs could command remarkable prices.
In addition to recording unusual and beautiful botanical specimens, flower still lifes sometimes carried a symbolic meaning. The ephemerality of blossoms made them an obvious metaphor for the transitory nature of human life. The insects were also significant: the fly could symbolize decay, and the butterfly, resurrection of the fragility of life.
Maria van Oosterwijck (Dutch, 1630–1693), Flower Stil Life, 1669, oil on canvas, Bequest of Mrs. L.W. Scott Alter, 1988.150
