An Orange Tree, Streptocarpus, Oleander, a Calla Lily and Cactus Flowers

The rise and popularity of still life painting in Denmark during the first half of the 19th Century was the result of remarkable scholarly advancements made in the second half of the 18th Century. These were mainly due to the founding of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1754 followed only five years later by the very influential botanical compilation of all flowers in Denmark, Flora Danica. During the mid-1770's, Denmark applied these drawings to compose a porcelain dinner service as a royal gift to the court of Empress Catherine II of Russia, then considered the most powerful sovereign in Europe. Although it took more than fifteen years to complete the porcelain service and it never made it to Russia during Catherine's lifetime, the production of the service influenced scientists as well as artists such as Johan Laurentz Jensen. The famous Danish flower painter was apprenticed at the Sèvres manufactory and later held the position of Principal Painter at the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory. In 1835, he was appointed to professor in the Royal Danish Academy of the Fine Arts, thus suitably combining the science of botany with the arts of painting and decoration. His students and followers like Garlieb, all exhibit trademarks of the celebrated tradition of Danish still life painting which integrates botanical precision, compositional balance and clarity with ornamental purity.