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

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
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