Vase with Flowers

"This work is attributed to the 17th-century painter of flower still lifes, Juan de Arellano (Madrid 1614-1676). Influenced by the meticulous work and clear illusionist desire of the Flemish models represented by Seghers or Brueguel, Arellano started to paint flowers around about 1650.
Arellano’s vases of flowers need to be placed within a context of decorative painting, whose likeness to the truth is fascinating. A detailed study of the flowers shows a complex technique has been used to construct the colour and volume; all in all, a real painting lesson.
A studied untidiness has been used to create the composition, which shows examples of very common flowers arranged in signature vases: tulips, carnations, anemones, jasmine, malvaceae and roses. Some of the flowers, like in the case of tulips, were extremely rare at that time. The artist frequently combines flowers that could never be seen together because they bloomed at different times of year."