Many Different Types of Flowers Surrounding Madonna and Child 

Jan Brueghel the Elder painted this panel, Many Different Types of Flowers Surrounding Madonna and Child, in the late 16th or early 17th century. Brueghel’s choice of subject relates to his social and religious context: the Catholic Church in the Spanish Netherlands during the Counter-Reformation. This painting gives us visual clues about the politics of imagery at this time. The central image of the Madonna and Child is framed by a vibrant garland of flowers, a popular motif in Flemish painting. But this devotional image is also a demonstration of wealth and knowledge. Each bloom is carefully rendered and would have been prized by collectors and botanists alike. Certain flowers had religious connotations, such as the white lily, associated with the Virgin Mary. To understand the painting more fully, scholars might research the horticultural practices of the period, the market for luxury goods, and the religious symbolism of flowers. In the end, we see that art is so often contingent on its social and institutional context.