Still life of roses in a glass vase with numerous insects, including butterflies, a ladybird, a bee and a dragon fly, together with further insects and small songbirds, including two bluetits

This vibrant still life, painted in 1669, invites close inspection, revealing a miniature world teeming with life around a simple bouquet of roses. Jan van Kessel the Elder, a grandson of Jan Brueghel the Elder, created a work that merges the scientific observation of the natural world with an aesthetic sensibility. The delicate roses, painted with meticulous detail, are surrounded by an astonishing variety of insects and small birds, each rendered with remarkable precision. This approach reflects a 17th-century fascination with collecting and categorizing the natural world, akin to the "Kunstkammern" or "Wunderkammern" of the era. The artist’s choice to paint on copper, a surface known for its smoothness, allowed for the exceptional detail and luminous finish you see here, making each tiny creature and petal come alive.