Consider the Lilies: Virtue and Virtuosity in Flower Paintings by Jan Davidsz. de Heem and Others

Paintings of vases with flowers spoke to the Dutch of the splendors of creation. They also documented one of the great eras of horticulture, which saw the cultivation of imported species, fevered speculation in tulips and hyacinths, and systematic study in botanical gardens. Jan Davidsz. de Heem’s compositions and unrivalled technique were influential for a century; John Walsh, B.A. 1961, Director Emeritus of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, and a specialist in Dutch paintings, examines them in detail.