Still-Life of Flowers, Shells, and Insects
by AST, Balthasar van der, Oil on panel, 24 x 35 cm
In this horizontal still-life Van der Ast presents a variety of seashells, flowers, and insects on a stone surface. At the centre is a horn-shaped shell holding an arrangement of flowers. The painter avoided any overlap or clustering of the shells so that each one can be scrutinized individually.