Peonies, roses, sunflowers, lilies, hollyhocks and other flowers in vases on a tabletop with a parrot perched nearby; and Oysters, crayfish, pies, a loaf of bread, a decanter of wine and a coffee service on a tabletop

In the first still life, a parrot rests on its perch next to a table piled high with an abundant array of vividly-colored flowers, including lilies, roses, poppies, sunflowers and asters. Some are gathered into a grey vase, and others are arranged in a bucket, while some remain scattered on the table. The pendant painting depicts an elaborately spread table with plates of oysters, crayfish and scones, as well as a tea service. The wide range of textures and the various reflective materials, such as porcelain, silver and glass showcase the artist's skill.

Charles Louis Marie Colin de la Biochaye was born into an old Breton family and followed his father into politics, serving as president of the parliament of Brittany. It was only when he was asked to inventory the collection of president Robien in the Musée des Beaux-Arts that he realized his true passion lay in the arts, and abandoned his political career to become a painter. De la Biochaye experimented with a variety of genres over the course of his career, including still-lifes, landscapes, genre scenes, and even a history painting. His most obvious artistic influences appear to have been de la Porte and Vallayer-Coster.

We are grateful to M. Fabrice Faré for suggesting the attribution of the present work from photographs.