An Arrangement with Flowers

Georgius Jacobus Van Os

c. 1815–30

Oil on canvas

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A still life painting depicts a large, ornate vase overflowing with a variety of colorful flowers, including red, white, and yellow varieties, set against a neutral background. One could almost say that the art of painting had run in Georgius van Os's blood. Born at The Hague in 1782 he, as well as his brother and sister, became successful artists in their own right under the tutelage of their renowned father, Jan van Os. Georgius, in particular, embraced his father's specialty of floral still-life painting. Unlike his father who produced his flower pieces from preparatory studies, however, Georgius chose to paint his botanical models directly from nature in their appropriate season. Such still-life paintings as <I>An Arrangement with Flowers</I> appealed to collectors on several levels, ranging from the b