Grapes, Flowers and Animals 1665 - 1719

Isac Vromans created “Grapes, Flowers, and Animals” with oil on canvas. Dutch Golden Age painting often spoke to the nation’s economic success, and Vromans' composition is no exception. It evokes a sense of abundance, not just of natural goods but of global trade. Grapes were being cultivated at home, but other fruits may well have been imported. Still life painting academies taught artists how to arrange objects to produce a pleasing effect, or even to imbue them with symbolic meaning, the butterfly being one of transformation and the grapes a sign of wealth. Vroman’s subdued palette and dark background, however, place the still life in a more naturalistic setting than was typical, with a bird and fish included in the composition. Examining merchants' inventories and guild records helps us understand how artists made a living in this period, as well as the public role played by this kind of seemingly straightforward imagery.