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Flowers in the Mauritshuis" is a book about floral still life paintings in the Mauritshuis, a Dutch art museum.
The Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, located in The Hague, Netherlands, is a palace that serves the purpose of displaying the Royal Cabinet of Paintings. It is a fine, living example of 17th-century Dutch classicist architecture. The Mauritshuis has evolved into a treasured art museum, and in June of 2008 its curators had a book called "Flowers in the Mauritshuis" published as an ode to some of its most prized paintings of floral still lifes.
Publication
"Flowers in the Mauritshuis" was first published by the Dutch company Waanders Uitgevers on June 25, 2008. The curators of the museum compiled a captivating overview of some of the most cherished still-life flower paintings housed at the Mauritshuis. While the English version of "Flowers in the Mauritshuis" has been more widely published since 2008, a Dutch version of the book is also available.
Paintings
The still life paintings of bouquets and flowers at the Mauritshuis are among the most popular works of art permanently housed at the museum. From the collection, a dozen pieces were covered in "Flowers in the Mauritshuis," and they are some of the finest paintings created by floral still life specialists of the 17th and 18th century, including Rachel Ruysch, Ambrosius Bosschaert, Jan Davidsz de Heem and Willem van Aelst.
Genre
"Flowers in the Mauritshuis" does more than simply examine a few paintings housed at the museum. It also covers the history of painting still life flowers and the evolution of the genre. Painting floral still lifes became popular quite suddenly at the turn of the 17th century, and the book takes you through the genre's beginnings and the changes it went through over the next 200 years. The vibrant, close-up images in "Flowers in the Mauritshuis" walk the reader through how the genre was influenced by botanists, rare blooms and even the history of what was known as "tulip fever."
The Mauritshuis
The Mauritshuis is a grand residence built for the Count Johan Maurits of Nassau-Siegen while he served as governor of the Dutch colony in Brazil from 1636 to 1644. Named after its commissioner, it translates to "Maurice House" in English. It was built by Jacob van Campen and his assistant, Pieter Post, two of the best architects of the time. In 1820, the Dutch government purchased the Mauritshius to house the Royal Cabinet of Rarities, and in 1822 it opened its doors as a museum. Since 1875, the Mauritshius has housed the Royal Cabinet of Paintings, including those that inspired "Flowers in the Mauritshuis."
