Roses, iris, poppies, lilies and other flowers in a tipped earthenware vase with a partridge and hourglass, on a bank

Jan Fyt was one of the most successful artists of his day and left behind a large body of works, over a hundred and fifty of which are signed. He painted hunting scenes, gamepieces, animal fables set in poultry yards, and flower pieces such as Roses, iris, poppies, lilies and other flowers in a tipped earthenware vase. This composition, dominated by a precariously placed vase, a dead bird, and an overturned hourglass, reflects Fyt's interest in dynamic movement and daring asymmetry. The very different treatment of the component parts of the still life (the bird is painted finely and the vase loosely) gives the viewer the sense that the scene goes in and out of focus, an idiosyncrasy that, it has been noted, is entirely in keeping with Fyt's oeuvre. There is another version of this painting in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (inv. no. M38).

Jan Fyt was born in Antwerp in 1611. He was first apprenticed in 1621 to Hans van den Berghe and most likely finished his training in the studio of Frans Snyders. He became a master in the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke in 1629 but continued to work for Snyders until 1631. He traveled to Paris in 1633-4 and, according to the biographer Orlandi, also spent time in Italy. By September 1641 Fyt was back in Antwerp where, with the exception of a brief trip to the northern Netherlands, he remained for the rest of his life.

We would like to thank Fred Meijer of the Rijksbureau voor Kunstdocumentatie for confirming the attribution of the painting.