A Still Life of Roses and other Flowers in a Metal Vase on a Marble Ledge

This luminous floral composition is a classic Rococo creation by the painter Jacob Bogdani, a Hungarian who came to fame and fortune at the court of Queen Anne in early 18^th century Britain. It shows a loose bouquet of white, pink and red roses, yellow and crimson bearded iris, marigold, blue morning glory, pink hollyhock, tall red and white streaked oriental poppies, red nasturtium, blue bellflowers, deep purple columbines, and other flowers, arranged in a tall, elaborate brass vase, standing on a cream and pink marble ledge. To the left of the vase lie a single orange and a small bunch of orange blossoms, to its right two large pink rose blossoms in full bloom. The light shines on the large white roses in the centre, while the background lies in the shade. The picture is signed, but not dated, which was Bogdani`s usual practice.
The majority of Bogdani`s paintings today remain in England, in the royal palaces and country estates they were originally intended for. Some of his paintings have found their way into public collections: The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge; the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven; Connecticut, and the Royal National Gallery of Hungary, Budapest.