This work is a contemporary homage to Jan Davidsz. de Heem and his masterpiece Still Life with Flowers in a Glass Vase. With the same sumptuous structure and dramatic lighting, a digital version is presented here in which baroque beauty meets modern technology.
Like De Heem, this floral arrangement combines flowers from different seasons - an artistic freedom that symbolises transience as well as abundance. The composition is carefully constructed: the asymmetrical balance, the play of colours of deep red, bright white and soft pink, and the use of a black background immediately evoke memories of 17th-century still life.
Yet the digital finish immediately betrays its contemporary origins. Subtle treatments, glow accents and graphic lines underline the digital nature of the work. The result is a timeless image that honours the past but stands with both feet in the now.
A yellow songbird, reminiscent of Golden Age symbolism, adds a poetic layer: a reference to the fragile life contained in every moment.
Sander van Laar, born in Veenendaal, is a prominent Dutch professional photographer and Visual Artist. His work is characterised by colourful images with carefully considered composition, stepping just outside the lines of the traditional flower still life or still life. Sander is always looking for new challenges,.. Read more…