Flowers in a Glass Vase with a Dragonfly, on a Marble Slab 1710

Rachel Ruysch painted 'Flowers in a Glass Vase with a Dragonfly, on a Marble Slab' during the Dutch Golden Age, a period of unprecedented economic and cultural prosperity for the Netherlands, but one built on the exploitation of colonialism. Ruysch, born into a family of prominent scientists and artists, navigated a male-dominated art world to become one of the most celebrated still-life painters of her time. Her floral paintings were highly sought after, reflecting the Dutch obsession with botany and the exotic flowers brought back by the Dutch East India Company. This lush arrangement is filled with symbolic meaning, from the fleeting beauty of the blooms to the presence of insects, reminders of mortality and the transience of life. Yet, Ruysch subverts the traditional vanitas theme. The artist's skilled brushwork and attention to detail imbue her subjects with a sense of vibrancy. The high level of detail makes it hard not to wonder about the lives and experiences of the individuals who cultivated and traded them.