A Bowl of Flowers 1672 - 1708

Elias van den Broeck made this painting of a bowl of flowers, using oil paints on canvas. It’s a traditional medium, of course, but one that allowed the artist to explore some complex ideas around value and labor. Look at the way the material is applied here: thick impasto in some areas, thinned to almost translucent washes in others. It’s a very painterly effect that highlights the artist’s own hand. But that hand is also in the service of representing other kinds of labor. All of these flowers had to be cultivated, harvested, transported, and sold. Van den Broeck had to buy them to then create his artwork. The painting itself is an intervention into a whole chain of economic activity, even if that activity is largely invisible in the final image. When we appreciate a still life like this, it’s worth remembering that the artistry on display is just one form of work, nestled within many others.