Vase of Flowers

Antoine Monnoyer, oil on canvas, 17th century.

This still life represents a vase of flowers placed on an entablature. The work is attributed to Antoine Monnoyer (1671-1747), son of Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer (1636-1699), a great painter of flowers who worked, among other places, at Versailles. Antoine began his career in England before making a tour of Europe. While his style resembles that of his father, he nonetheless differs from it by a number of specific traits, such as the use of a lavender blue for creating certain flowers or the frequent open pomegranate motif.