Still Life with Flowers and a Watch c. 1660s - 1670s

Abraham Mignon painted “Still Life with Flowers and a Watch” using oil on canvas, a medium that allowed him great control over detail. The painting’s luminosity comes from Mignon’s build-up of thin layers of paint, a technique demanding patience. Notice how he captured the textures: the velvet petals against the hard gleam of the watch. Still life was a popular genre, but Mignon elevates it through sheer skill. His technique also reflects the social context of the time. The Dutch Golden Age was a period of economic expansion, and paintings were like luxury goods. The artist's skill in representing textures and light effects became a kind of currency, a way of demonstrating status. It may seem like "just a painting of flowers," but it's also about labor, skill, and the pleasures of looking closely. The painting is a testament to the value of craft and the importance of understanding the social context in which art is produced.