Flowers in a Glass Vase

The painter and Jesuit Daniel Segher used in his painting the contrast between the dark background and the light failing on the vase in which we can see the stems of the plants. Apart from beauty, Seghers also offers a row of symbolic messages in the flowers: e.g. irises were traditionally considered to be flowers related to Virgin Mary, the red rose symbolizing the painful love of Mother of God to Jesus, the white rose referring to the purity of Virgin Mary.