The Dutch still-life arrangement

What it is

In the paintings, a vase of glass, stoneware or metal stands on a ledge and holds far more flowers than it could in life. Large blooms sit high and at the sides instead of in a neat dome. Stems curve outward in an S shape, and every flower is turned to show its best face. Insects, shells, fruit and drops of water are scattered about. The modern arrangement copies this: an urn, a loose asymmetrical outline, rich mixed colour and many different kinds of flower.

Where it comes from

Flower painting became a speciality in the Netherlands and Flanders around 1600, as new garden plants such as tulips and crown imperials arrived from the Ottoman lands and beyond. Rare bulbs were costly, and during the tulip craze of the 1630s some sold for huge sums. A painting was cheaper and did not wilt. Ambrosius Bosschaert, Jan Davidsz. de Heem, Rachel Ruysch and Jan van Huysum were among the leading names. Their bouquets were built from separate studies, so spring and summer flowers bloom side by side.

How it is made

Use a footed urn or a heavy vase with a ball of chicken wire inside to hold the stems. Begin with arching branches and foliage to set a wide, uneven outline. Place the largest flowers next, some high and some low, with one or two spilling over the rim. Fill in with smaller flowers, then add the lightest stems last so they float above the rest. Fruit, such as grapes or a cut pomegranate, can sit at the base. A dark wall behind shows the colours best.

What it means

The paintings were admired as displays of rare and costly plants. Many also carried a quiet warning. A wilting rose, a fallen petal, a fly or a snail reminded the viewer that beauty and life do not last. This theme is known as vanitas, from the Latin word for emptiness. A florist working in this style today often keeps a hint of it, leaving one flower past its best or letting a few petals drop onto the table beside the vase.

How to take part

1. See the originals: the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Mauritshuis in The Hague both hold fine flower pieces.
2. Choose flowers of mixed sizes and let tulips open fully and bend.
3. Work in a wide urn with chicken wire, and keep one side taller than the other.

The flowers

TulipSpring-blooming bulbs with showy, cup-shaped flowers in many coloursRoseWoody perennial plants with showy, often fragrant flowers in many coloursPeonyLarge spring flowers in pink, red, white, yellow and purple, grown in gardens worldwideCrown imperialTall spring flower with a ring of drooping blooms like a crownIrisA large group of perennial flowers with striking, six-lobed bloomsOpium poppyA tall annual poppy grown for seeds, opium, and striking garden flowersCarnationA fragrant flower with ruffled petals, grown worldwide for decoration and meaningStill lifeArtworks showing arranged objects like flowers, fruit, and vessels

Sources and further reading

• Still life on Wikipedia
• Rijksmuseum