Still-Life
by DAEL, Jan Frans van, Oil on canvas, 74 x 60 cm
The picture shows a still life with fritillaria imperialis, roses and tulips in a stone vase, on a red marble ledge.
Jan Frans van Dael was one of the most highly regarded painters of flowers and fruit in Paris during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The present work is one of his earliest. The rather dark background is characteristic of his early compositions, illuminated by a bright but soft light, which allows for the meticulous articulation of every intricate detail and assorted texture, as well as the convincing impression of depth and substance.