Still life with flowers in a vase, Jan Davidsz. de Heem | Splatterversion by MadameRuiz

About "Still life with flowers in a vase, Jan Davidsz. de Heem | Splatterversion"

by MadameRuiz

About the artwork

Jan Davidsz. de Heem (1606-1684) was a master of 17th-century Dutch still life. His flower still lifes are famous for their realistic details, vivid colours and an almost sensuous depiction of natural richness.

In his work Still life with flowers in a vase, he depicts a lavish bouquet composed of various flower varieties such as roses, tulips, irises and peonies, often combined with insects, drops of water and a fragile glass vase. All this is meticulously painted with a focus on symbolism: the transience of life (decaying leaves, wilted flowers), the splendour of nature, and sometimes religious or moral references.

Characteristics of his style:
* Baroque opulence: lavish, rich, full of movement and colour.
* Chiaroscuro: strong contrast between light and dark.
* Trompe-l'oeil: deceptive reality.
* Symbolism of memento mori: a reminder of death or impermanence.

In this work, de Heem's painting has been transformed into an abstract painting of splatters. From afar you can still easily recognise the original, but up close it is an abstract landscape of paint splatters.

The classic floral form is abandoned. Instead, I depict the essence of the bouquet through colour explosions, energetic movements and spots that suggest where flowers, leaves and vase are located. Each colour (red, yellow, blue, white, pink, green) refers to a type of flower without literally depicting it.

A tension in rhythm and texture is created.

New Masters collection