Basket of Flowers

This impressive still-life represents one of the finest achievements by the pre-eminent flower painter of 17th century Spain, Juan de Arellano. The painting was produced at the height of the artist’s career and is remarkable for the quality of execution. This florero belongs to a small but coherent group of paintings of flowers in a wicker basket on a stone ledge, all of almost identical dimesions, painted by Arellano during the first few years of the 1670’s.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 7 minutes):

Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, ballet suite, op. 71, Waltz of the Flowers