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In the early 16 th century the Netherlands experienced what was called "tulip mania" this was the beginning of the nations love for flora and foliage (Taylor 13). The result of this impressive flower invasion was a society that took a historical turn from which the results still remain today. Flower merchants, botanists and floral still life artists, were occupations that were an accurate reflection of the Netherlands demands (Brown). An interesting example of a life that was effected by, and devoted to the archiving of the flower craze was Rachel Ruysch (1664 - 1750) the 17 th century Dutch flower painter. Rachel Ruysch's' career straddled the 17 th and 18 th century, and her stunningly accurate floral pieces reflect the maturing, yet evolving art of floral still life painting ("Rachel Ruysch: Bibliography "). Ruysch's's till Life with Flowers on a Marble Tabletop (1716) is an excellent example of a painting that appropriately represents the genre of art that was created solely through specific societal events.
The rampant speculation during the flower craze, eventually led the Netherlands to a stock market crash in 1637 (Taylor 40). The events leading up to and following "tulip mania" were embedded in history, and archived in paintings. Ruyschs career did not begin until well after the crash; however floral artists continued right through the crash and well on to the next century ("Rachel Ruysch: Bibliography "). Flowers continued to be an extremely popular subject matter in painting.
What is unique about the work of Rachel Ruysch, and in particular Still Life with Flowers on a Marble Tabletop, is that they were created at the turn of the century and at a point when floral still life was evolving (Taylor 45). Early flower paintings tended to have static symmetrical compositions like the works of Ambrosius Bosschaert (1573 - 1621), but flourished into more lively expressions when artists like Willem van Aelst (1627 - 1687) started to make use of the S curve composition. While studying under van Aelst, Ruysch employed the use the S curve, which distinguishes her paintings from less dynamic earlier work. Ruysch's' pieces also stand out because of her use of lighting. A spotlight is an appropriate analogy for Ruysch's approach.
One central point will be highlighted while the rest of her composition lurks in the shadows. Her lighting technique distinguishes her work from later painters like Jan van Huysum who moved towards the use of lighter backgrounds Still life with flowers" 1 - 3). Ruysch's' works have qualities from both the 16 th and 17 th centuries, and are indicative of progression of the Netherlands art. They confirm that the enthusiasm for floral painting was not short lived. Although flower painting lived beyond the craze that sparked it, Rachel Ruysch did not. In the early 20 th century Art History was deemed an academic discipline; however instead of accounting for a variety of different histories that had occurred in art it became a select one pertaining to only male art.
Ruysch and her work in all its grandeur was no exception. She like all women artists were disregarded, and simply forgotten. (Honig 31) It now seems incredible that Ruysch who was at the top of her field and considered one of the finest Dutch still life painters could have disappeared. Only until recently have the works of women become recognized again, and even then not all of them. Ruysch was highly respected in the Netherlands for her incredible still life work so it is no wonder her pieces have surfaced again, but this time with more amplitude. Ruysch was creating work at the same level if not higher than her male contemporaries. It is hard to erase an icon of art that aided in the progression of an era, and it is a blessing that works once dismissed did not fade in their significance, but came back with more impact on the contemporary eye.
Today, precision and detail may seem old fashioned, but to anyone willing to consider the attention to detail in a Ruysch canvas, will be amazed at what she was able to put into a single work. Still Life with Flowers on a Marble Tabletop creates awe in any connoisseur with an eye for perfection. Ruysch above all her contemporaries created luscious flower images with more substance than the real thing. Poppies as thin as crepe paper, and roses so full they seemed to have never ending layers of petals.
Ruysch's' father Frederick Ruysch was a botanist and was said to have created a vast collection of scientific illustrations (Van Hansen 670). Ruysch having grown up in this environment developed a talent for re creating foliage, and then elevated her botanical illustration into the realm of art. ("Rachel Ruysch: Bibliography. ") Because Rachel Ruysch had the example of her father, a flower craze that set her artistic ability ablaze coupled with a female sensibility, her pieces remain to this day quite extraordinary. Still Life with Flowers on a Marble Tabletop is a true gem because it embodies all of Ruyschs's ig nature artistic characteristics and was created at the height of her career.
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Research essay sample on Rachel Ruysch Bibliography Floral Still Life Flower
