Flowers in a Vase with Shells and Insects
by AST, Balthasar van der, Oil on panel, 47 x 37 cm
In the centre of this painting is a bouquet of flowers in a ceramic vase placed on a stone ledge. Richly patterned seashells - a characteristic feature of Van der Ast’s still-lifes - and a grasshopper are arranged to the sides of the vase. Other insects populating the scene are a bee hovering on the right, a spider crawling on the petals of the yellow rose, and a butterfly resting on the iris at the top. The painting reveals the artist’s debt to his teacher Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder.