Bouquet of Flowers in a Two-Handled Vase

early 1560s

Medium

Oil on oak panel

Dimensions

38 × 29 cm

Status

In Museum Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-135325

An elegant opaque white glass vase (*lattimo*) holds a vibrant array of cut flowers and lush foliage. Bright, even light illuminates the varied forms and hues of over fifteen species of cultivated and field plants, including roses, gillyflowers, violets, and rosemary, and casts the shadows of the stock and other flowers strewn around it onto the table. *Bouquet of Flowers in a Two-Handled Vase* marks a pivotal moment in the botanical Renaissance when close artistic observation of European plants, initially expressed through drawn and watercolor studies by German masters [Martin Schongauer][1] and [Albrecht Dürer][2] around 1500, become worthy subjects of panel painting. Tom Ring’s seminal contributions celebrate the beauty and individuality of natural forms through a meticulous technique and stylish, polished surfaces. In contrast to the tastes of subsequent centuries, which favored flamboyant imported species such as tulips, tom Ring’s bouquets include few rare, cultivated blooms, notably roses, and instead celebrate a variety of familiar northern field flora. This recently discovered bouquet exemplifies the artist’s style, which imparts monumentality to the array despite its mo…