Flower Still Life with Bird's Nest

This extravagant bouquet is made up of flowers from different seasons including different varieties of tulips and roses, and is also inhabited by butterflies and other insects. Jan van Huysum was the leading Dutch painter of flower-pieces in the eighteenth century. He received prestigious commissions from royal households and aristocrats around Europe. This is his largest painting on copper, a support he only used occasionally. It once formed part of the famous Czernin collection in Vienna.

This commentary is part of the National audio tour. Listen to the whole tour in Smartify.

Credit: Accepted by HM Government in lieu of Inheritance Tax and allocated to the Scottish National Gallery, 2013