Stilleven met bloemen 1779 - 1808

Jan Evert Morel painted this still life with flowers around the turn of the 19th century, capturing a delicate balance of color and form. The bouquet bursts with blooms like roses, cornflowers and poppies. Poppies, often seen as symbols of sleep and oblivion, were used in antiquity as offerings to the dead. The butterfly, a delicate addition, perched atop the arrangement introduces a poignant symbol of metamorphosis, a fleeting transformation from earthly to ethereal. Consider how this motif transcends time: from ancient funerary art to 17th-century vanitas paintings, the butterfly’s journey reflects our collective fascination with life's ephemeral nature. These symbols, imbued with cultural memory, trigger a profound response. Through Morel's skillful brush, the composition of these flowers evokes a sense of poignant beauty—a silent reminder of life's transient splendor. The cyclical nature of death and rebirth continues to resonate, echoing through the corridors of time.