Roses, daffodils, carnations and other flowers in an urn on a stone ledge; and Hydrangeas, tulips, hollyhocks and other flowers in an urn on a stone ledge;

The little that is known of Juan de Arellano's life comes from Antonio Palomino's 1796 book documenting the lives of Spanish artists, El Parnaso español pintoresco laureado. Palomino writes that Arellano began copying still life scenes at the age of thirty-six, as an otherwise undistinguished figural painter in search of inspiration. While this account was long held to be true, in his 1998 catalogue raisonné Alfonso E. Pérez Sánchez points out that there is a floral garland by Arellano dated 1646, painted in collaboration with Francisco Camilo which demonstrates that the artist was already proficient in rendering flowers at the age of thirty-two (Sánchez, loc. cit., p. 48). Palomino praises Arellano's singular mastery of floral still life scenes and records Arellano's work in the houses of the Counts of Oñate, as well as the chapel in the Jesuit Imperial College in Madrid, a testimony to his skill and popularity among noble and ecclesiastical patrons during his lifetime.

Arellano was heavily influenced by the Flemish still life tradition, particularly the work of Daniel Seghers and Jan Brueghel the Elder, both artists who were well known in Spanish collections at the time. In the early 1650s, Arellano was still dependent on Northern models, but had begun to master the Flemish predilection for precision and 'descriptive preciousness' (loc. cit. p. 50). Arellano followed Seghers in his early garland paintings and the stylistic arrangement of flowers within a cartouche. From Brueghel, Arellano adopted the practice of detailed flowers and buzzing insects, livening his scenes to great decorative effect. By the 1660s, however, Arellano's work had shifted towards a decidedly Baroque style, where the influence of Mario Nuzzi becomes apparent. Like Seghers and Brueghel, fine examples of paintings by Nuzzi were held in Spanish collections, where Arellano likely saw and copied them. Arellano's compositions transitioned from primarily garlands to floral arrangements in wicker baskets or elaborate gilded vases, which were likely derived from Roman Mannerist prints like those by Cherubino Alberti (loc. cit. p. 49).

Dated to 1664, this pair of paintings features such ornate gilded vases, placed against a dark background to heighten the coloristic intensity. They are richly decorated with putti and grotesque serpentine handles on stone plinths, contrasting the delicate riches of nature with manmade sumptuousness. Sánchez praises the dazzling coloristic effect of the bronze, lapis blue, pinks and whites in these paintings as examples of the most vibrant and colorful in Arellano’s oeuvre (loc. cit. p. 52). With their fluid brushwork and harmonious use of primary colors, these lavish compositions are characteristic of Arellano at the height of his powers.