Still-Life with Flowers, Fruit, and Shells

Balthasar van der Ast learnt to paint from his brother-in-law, Ambrosius Bosschaert. He also specialized in flower still-lifes though he differed from his teacher in his preference for more complex compositions. In this still-life of 1618, he placed two bouquets against the splendid backdrop of Renaissance architecture, which was probably painted by Bartholomeus van Bassen. This strikingly asymmetrical painting is exceptionally large for a still-life, its nearly square format is a rare occurrence in 17th-century Dutch painting.