Bouquet in a Mannerist Vase

This decorative vase shows a variety of flowers that normally blossom in different seasons of the year. Their selection corresponds to the popular motifs in early 17th-century Netherlandish still lifes. Led by the wish of his patron, Hirschely apparently created a still life inspired by earlier models - Jan I Brueghel or Roelandt Savery. The purposeful archaism is also reflected in the vase of Mannerist morph - ology, revealing a mascaron motif. The symbolism of flowers, which irrevocably wither, thus suggesting the passage of time and ruin of all that lives, is not applied here. The period, in which Hirschely created his still lifes, emphasized a decorative arrangement and the general aesthetic impression of the work.