Fotoreproductie van een schilderij van een bloemstilleven door Abraham Mignon before 1883

Captured by Alexandre, this photograph reproduces a flower still life by Abraham Mignon, and presents us with a bouquet brimming with symbolic weight. The ephemeral nature of blooms, arranged to capture a moment of vibrant life, contrasts with the creeping shadow of decay. A motif that extends back to classical vanitas paintings, where skulls and wilting flowers served as potent symbols of mortality. Consider how such imagery evolved. From the memento mori of the medieval era, reminding us of inevitable death, to the Dutch Golden Age's celebration of earthly pleasures tinged with the awareness of their transience. The symbolic language of flowers speaks volumes. Roses, emblems of love and beauty, juxtaposed with the fragility of life, create a tension that resonates deeply. These images stir powerful, subconscious feelings, tapping into our primal awareness of time's passage, of beauty's fleeting existence. The echoes of these symbols reverberate through art history, resurfacing in new forms, each iteration coloured by its cultural context, continuously engaging us in a dialogue about life, death, and beauty.