Tulips, hollyhocks, poppies, carnations and other flowers in an urn, with a Tortoiseshell butterfly, corn, a walnut, and hazelnuts on a marble ledge; and Grapes, corn, peaches, plums, raspberries, tulips, roses, morning glory and other flowers, butterflies, and a bird's nest on a marble ledge

These are studio versions of the two paintings by Van Brussel in the Art Institute of Chicago (gift of Arthur Keating, acc. no. 1948.569). We are grateful to Mr. Fred Meijer for suggesting an attribution to Johan Christiaan Roedig (The Hague 1751-1802), who worked in van Brussel's studio.

Willem Philip Barnaart was Mayor of Haarlem in 1807, and a member of Parliament for the province of North Holland. In 1813 he was made a chevalier de l'Empire by Napoleon, and subsequently was created jonkheer by King Willem I. It was he who commissioned the construction of Barnaart House, on Nieuwe Gracht 7, Haarlem, which was built between 1803 and 1808, and currently belongs to the Provincial Government of North Holland. In October 1807, Barnaart bought the manor house 'Vogelenzang', which has remained the family house ever since, and to which the contents of Barnaart House, including the present pictures, were moved.