[Flowers Arranged in a Glass Vase] 1650 - 1670

This is a print of flowers in a glass vase by Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer, who was active in France during the reign of Louis XIV. In its own time, this image would have been seen as decorative, a pleasant addition to a domestic space or a study. But it would have also signified the wealth of the patron, who could afford to purchase such an object, and who may have also been able to afford the kinds of flowers that are depicted here. These may have been imported at considerable expense from other parts of the world. Monnoyer was associated with the French court and the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. As such, we can see his work as reflecting the values and interests of that social milieu. This was a culture obsessed with display, with refined taste, and with the natural world made into a spectacle. By studying archival documents, such as letters, inventories, and auction catalogs, we can begin to understand the place of such images in the social and cultural life of the period.