Jan van Huysum: Two Floral Still Lifes at Christie's London

Two paintings by Dutch Golden Age master Jan van Huysum (1682-1749) will be auctioned at Christie's London on June 30, each valued at €3.5 million. Van Huysum, known as 'the phoenix of flower painters' for reviving realism in Dutch floral painting, developed a meticulous naturalistic style that surpassed his contemporaries. His works feature elegant bouquets in luminous landscapes or on marble ledges, with vibrant layered colors and complex compositions combining flowers from different seasons—an artistic license rather than botanical accuracy. They often include vanitas symbols of transience and decay. Unlike many Dutch masters, Van Huysum achieved great success in his lifetime, with his still lifes selling for ten times the price of a Rembrandt. The two lots are 'Frutas y flores en una cesta de mimbre' (Fruits and Flowers in a Wicker Basket), formerly owned by Maria Carolina Ferdinanda Luisa, Duchess of Berry (1798-1870), a prominent female patron; and 'Flores en un jarrón de terracota' (Flowers in a Terracotta Vase), which passed through two notable 18th-century Dutch collections, those of Gerret Braamcamp and Jan Jansz. Van Huysum's works are held in major institutions including the Louvre, the Rijksmuseum, and the Hermitage.