Flower still life in a Vase

There are no records of the Antwerp artist Nicolaes van Veerendael sojourning abroad or working in different European cities other than his birthplace. Trained by his father, Willem van Veerendael, Nicolaes joined the Guild of St Luke in 1657. Mostly known and appreciated for his flower still lifes, the artist painted allegorical scenes with monkeys in the style of Jan Brueghel I and David Teniers II as well. In his early career, Veerendael’s flower arrangements are smaller in size and represent elegantl flower bouquets in vases. Collaborating with artists such as Erasmus Quellinus and Jan Davidsz. De Heem, the latter in particular was especially influential in Veerendael’s later works. From 1670 onwards, insects and elements of vanities are included in the artist’s compositions, reminiscent of the works of De Heem. The present painting is a fine example of this development.

We are grateful to Fred Meijer for confirming the attribution of the present painting, he dates the work in the first half of the 1670s.

Oil on canvas, 57 x 42cm