Continental still-life of a vase of flowers on a stone ledge. Gilt Frame. Old repairs and slight loss on paint.

Paintings depicting aspects of the natural world were so characteristic of the Netherlands that, during the seventeenth century, the Dutch word “stilleven” was adopted into English as “still life”.
The apparent realism of much Dutch art can be deceptive with many floral still-lifes, showing combinations of flowers that do not bloom at the same time of year. Others show lavish banquet tables set with partially uneaten meals, interrupted midcourse.  These incredible illusions of space, solidity, texture, and light often assume the role of memento mori (“a memento of mortality”)—a reminder that life is fleeting and that God is good, but his judgment is stern.