The Court Jeweller Christopher Fabritius and his Wife Gundel, née Berntz 1752

Peder Als painted this portrait of The Court Jeweller Christopher Fabritius and his Wife Gundel in the 18th century. Notice the bouquet of flowers Gundel holds—a motif stretching back to antiquity, symbolizing fertility and beauty. Even earlier, in the 'hortus conclusus' paintings of the medieval period, a garden represents paradise, or the purity of the Virgin Mary. Here, the flowers echo the couple's prosperity and status. Flowers have always represented a language of emotions. Observe how this symbol subtly shifts across eras, resurfacing in different guises. The 'language of flowers,' once tied to religious symbolism, transforms into a symbol of earthly and material wealth. The blossoms speak of love, but also of luxury—an emblem of a world increasingly shaped by commerce and courtly life. These flowers, painted with delicate precision, engage us on a subconscious level, evoking not only their beauty but also the transient nature of life and the human desire to capture it.