Art Funded by you

Still Life of Flowers and Fruit Arranged on a Stone Plinth in a Garden

Cornelis de Heem, c. 1685

Courtesy National Trust Images / Photo © John Hammond 2015

Cornelis de Heem painted this exceptional still life of flowers and fruit in the mid-1680s when he was living in The Hague. It is a handsome example of the Dutch vanitas genre in which the wilting plants and decaying fruit symbolise the transitory nature of life. De Heem trained under his father, the renowned painter Jan Davidszoon de Heem and was noted for his small indoor still-life pictures. This work is unusual in its large scale and outdoor setting. Among the flowers and fruit depicted in the composition are roses, lilies, peonies, peaches and a melon. William Blathwayt, the connoisseur and builder of Dyrham Park, probably acquired the painting in the 1690s, and it hung on the walls of the house until 1956, when the picture was sold by his descendants. The estate is now run by the National Trust, and the painting returns there to be reunited with other works from BlathwaytÂ’s remarkable collection.

More information

Title of artwork, date

Still Life of Flowers and Fruit Arranged on a Stone Plinth in a Garden, c. 1685

Date supported

2015

Medium and material

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

92 × 77cm

Grant

100000

Total cost

574000

Content note: This object record is part of our archive and has not been updated since it was first published. It may contain inaccurate information or outdated language. Please get in touch if you think this record should be amended.

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