Flower Still Life with a Timepiece by Willem van Aelst was created in 1663. The painting is in Mauritshuis den Haag. The size of the work is 62,5 x 49 cm and is made of oil on canvas.
Van Aelst’s flower still-lifes are different to those of his predecessors. Rather than painting symmetrical bouquets, he arranged them along a diagonal line. Moreover, he did not light them evenly, opting instead for strong contrasts of light and dark. This lends tension and dynamism to his bouquets. This profuse flower painting was intended as a showpiece. The flowers stand in a costly silver vase, and a gold watch lies beside them. Van Aelst, who had lived in Italy, signed the work with his Italian name… Discover more in Mauritshuis den Haag
The Artist: Dutch baroque painter Willem van Aelst was born in Delft (1627). He was a pupil of his uncle, Evert van Aelst (1602–1657), a still-life painter in Delft. Willem joined the town’s Saint Luke’s Guild on 1643. Little is known about his personal life, but we know that he lived in France between 1645/1646 and 1651, and subsequently in Italy until 1656. While in Florence, Van Aelst worked for the Medici family, specifically the brothers Cardinal Gian Carlo and Cardinal Leopoldo de’ Medici.
Van Aelst created at least eleven paintings for them, as well as works for collectors in Bologna and Rome. Ferdinand II de’ Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, supposedly gave Van Aelst a gold medal and gold chain for his service. Van Aelst settled in Amsterdam in 165, becoming famous for his ornate still lifes. The fine glassware, silver goblets, fruit, and flowers display the influence of Willem Kalf’s luxurious compositions. Van Aelst was one of the earliest Dutch artists to paint an asymmetrically arranged bouquet… Read more.
