Flowers in a Wan-Li Vase

Jan Brueghel the Elder painted so precisely that he was called the Velvet Brueghel. He was the first Fleming to paint flower still lifes and had great success with them. This small bouquet of mainly roses and tulips is in a special Chinese porcelain vase. It's a kendi, a Chinese water bottle. Brueghel placed it in front of a dark background, against which the roses, daffodils and flamed tulips stand out beautifully. Jan Brueghel I painted with such precision that he was called the Velvet Brueghel. He was the first Flemish artist to paint flower still-lifes, achieving great success with them.