Tulips, roses and other flowers in a basket on a table, with shells, fruit, a lizard and a butterfly

Balthasar van der Ast was the pupil and brother-in-law of Ambrosius Bosschaert I, who is acknowledged as introducing the Flemish tradition of still life painting into Dutch art after his arrival in Middelburg in circa 1585 to escape religious persecution in the Southern Netherlands. Having absorbed the influences of his master, van der Ast broadened his pictorial repertoire to incorporate a more diverse selection of objects in his paintings, including shells and exotic fruit, as exemplified in this work. The woven basket anchors the composition, while the flowers and tendrils of the tulips, carnations, lilies and marigolds fan out to form a unifying arc. Shells, which feature prominently in the right foreground, were highly desirable in seventeenth-century Holland and vast prices were paid for the best and rarest examples. As well as a symbol of wealth and luxury, shells have also been interpreted as a sign of vanity and the transience of earthly beauty and possession. Taken in this light, the prominent placement amongst the shells of the butterfly can be taken as a symbol of rebirth and eternity.