“Flowers in a Jug”
This oil painting on an oak panel is by the Northern Renaissance German artist, Hans Memling, and is titled “Flowers in a Jug”. It was created circa 1485, near the end of Memling’s life, and is one of the very first still life paintings in art history.
The painting displays a bouquet of irises, columbines, and lilies in an Italian maiolica vase that displays Christ’s monogram. The flowers are thought to represent the Virgin Mary; she is represented as the Queen of Heaven via the irises, and as purity via the lilies. The jug still life is set atop an Oriental rug.
Interestingly, rugs like this one here from this time period came to be known as Memling rugs because of the frequency with which they appeared in his work. This painting is actually located on the back side of another piece of art. The front side painting may be the left wing of a diptych or triptych and displays a portrait titled “Portrait of a Young Man at Prayer.”
For most of the nineteenth century, “Flowers in a Jug” was in the private collections of the Scottish Dukes of Hamilton, passed down over time. In 1936, it was in the ownership of Duchess of Montrose from whom the Museum Thyssen-Bornemisza acquired it.
“Flowers in a Jug” is currently located at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid, Spain.
For more on Hans Memling, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
