Flowers in a Glass Vase with a Butterfly, Herman Henstenburgh, c. 1700

parchment (animal material), h 374mm × w 299mm More details

Herman Henstenburgh is known for the pure and powerful colours with which he rendered his remarkably soft, even rarefied, floral still lifes. He often painted them on costly parchment, such as here. In spite of his fame and the expensive materials he used, one wonders whether he actually made a living from his art: he also worked as a pastry baker until his death.