Flowers in a Vase with Shells and Insects

still-life

In the centre of this painting is a bouquet of flowers in a ceramic vase placed on a stone ledge. Richly patterned seashells - a characteristic feature of Van der Ast's still-lifes - and a grasshopper are arranged to the sides of the vase. Other insects populating the scene are a bee hovering on the right, a spider crawling on the petals of the yellow rose, and a butterfly resting on the iris at the top.

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Flowers in a Vase with Shells and Insects

About the Artist

Balthasar van der Ast

1594 – 1657

Dutch still-life painter, the brother-in-law of Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder, with whom he trained in Middelburg. He worked in Utrecht before settling in Delft in 1632. His touch was less exquisite than Bosschaert's, but his range was wider, his paintings often including fruit and shells as well as flowers. Jan Davidsz. de Heem was his pupil in Utrecht.

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