Blomsterstykke 1794 - 1849

J.L. Camradt created this large still life painting, "Blomsterstykke," with oil on canvas. Given the fashion for lavish floral arrangements in the late 18th and early 19th centuries across Europe, we might think about how displays of cultivated nature served as expressions of social status and wealth during that era. Camradt was working in Denmark, where the monarchy and aristocracy maintained close ties to the rest of Europe, particularly France. So how might a painting like this participate in the creation and maintenance of social hierarchies? The work displays a cornucopia of flora and fauna and also demonstrates the artist's mastery of naturalistic depiction, thus serving as a form of cultural capital. To understand the painting more fully, we could research the importation of exotic fruits into Denmark at this time, as well as the display of such paintings in aristocratic homes.