Still Life of Pink, Yellow, and White Roses

Still Life of Pink, Yellow, and White Roses Hanging from a Blue Ribbon with a Red Admiral and a Cabbage White by Carstian Luyckx

Description: "Still Life of Pink, Yellow, and White Roses Hanging from a Blue Ribbon with a Red Admiral and a Cabbage White" is a delicate and meticulously detailed painting by Carstian Luyckx, a Flemish Baroque artist known for his still life compositions. Created in the mid-17th century, this artwork features a charming arrangement of roses in pink, yellow, and white hues, artfully suspended from a soft blue ribbon. The bouquet is further animated by the presence of a red admiral butterfly and a cabbage white butterfly, two species often symbolizing transformation and the fleeting nature of beauty. Luyckx’s composition displays his characteristic attention to texture and realism, capturing the fragile petals, the sheen of the ribbon, and the delicate wings of the butterflies with exceptional precision. The interplay of light and shadow enhances the three-dimensionality of the flowers and insects, creating a sense of depth and bringing the still life to life.

Carstian Luyckx (1623–c. 1675) was a prominent Flemish still life painter, influenced by the works of Jan Davidsz de Heem and other contemporaries who specialized in lush floral compositions, vanitas, and game pieces. Born in Antwerp, Luyckx became a member of the Guild of Saint Luke, the local artists' guild, in 1645. His work is celebrated for its intricate detail, rich color palette, and ability to capture both the beauty and ephemerality of natural objects. Luyckx’s still lifes often included symbolic elements that reflected themes of mortality, the passage of time, and the delicate balance between life and death, which were popular motifs in the Baroque period.

Details:

• Location and Date Created: Antwerp, Belgium, mid-17th century.
• Medium: Oil on canvas.
• Full Artwork Name: Still Life of Pink, Yellow, and White Roses Hanging from a Blue Ribbon with a Red Admiral and a Cabbage White by Carstian Luyckx.
• Artwork Style: Flemish Baroque still life.
• Subject/Topic: A still life composition featuring a bouquet of roses, a blue ribbon, and butterflies, emphasizing themes of beauty and transience.