Rollins Museum of Art
September 14, 2024, to January 5, 2025.
Photo by Nicolaes van Verendael, (Flemish, 1640-1691), Still Life of Tulips, Convolvulus, Rose and Other Flowers in a Glass Vase on a Ledge, ca. 17th Century, Oil on Canvas, 15.5 x 12.25 in., Long term loan from The Grasset-Linares Collection.
During the 17th century, booming Dutch trade enabled the rise of a powerful middle class. This, along with the waning patronage system, led to the emergence of an art market that catered to the tastes of the new social class, making art available for display in private homes. This economic prosperity and growing demand for relatable imagery gave way to the Dutch Golden Age of painting, where marvelous still lifes, landscapes, and genre scenes became widely popular as they reflected the preferences and daily life of the new bourgeois society. The works in this exhibition illustrate the captivating charm of mundane subjects like flowers, fruits, and the natural terrain. Themes of the inevitability of time passing, the moral goodness of moderation, and the abundance of the natural world emerge from these stunning representations. On long-term loan from The Grasset-Linares Collection, this selection of 11 paintings includes traditional Dutch floral arrangements, rich banquet scenes, and detailed landscapes. This exhibition is guest curated by Sophia Foster ’24, Fred W. Hicks Curatorial Fellow at RMA.
