1750-1800

Flower Vase

This tile picture shows an ornamental urn filled with a bouquet of lush, distinctly outlined flowers. Heavy, full blossoms, such as cabbage roses, are clustered at the center of the bouquet. Playful, exotic peacocks flank the base of the urn, following a tradition that first appeared in ornamental flower prints of the early seventeenth century, such as those by Claes Jansz Visscher (Dutch, 1587-1625). The urn rests on a concave, marbleized base that contains a cartouche depicting a pastoral scene.