Painted around 1660-1670, during the transition between the reigns of Philip IV (1621-1665) and Charles II (1665-1700), this painting clearly conveys the characteristics of Valencian still lifes from the second half of the Siglo de Oro. Its agreeable, decorative and jovial play of elements captures the joy of a Mediterranean garden. At the same time, it is an accomplished example of the repertoire of motives that Hiepes enjoyed including in his still lifes, and especially his flower paintings. Here, he presents a plethora of attractive elements in a delightful landscaped patio. A large bench adorned with ceramic tiles bears a variety of spermatophyte plants in large glazed decorative flowerpots, each of its own design. There are also two open baskets—one with flowers and the other with sprays that might be jasmines arranged in the biznaga manner associated with Malaga—as well as flowers on the ground; a large pot of carnations and a fruit tree. A wooden chair with a leather seat stands at the center of the composition, and the small, fragile and charming little dog perched upon it appears to be oblivious to his crowded and fertile surroundings. This may be an image of Hiepes’ own little garden, which would explain why many of its components appear separately in other works by him. In fact, he may even have raised ornamental flowers there for his canvases, much like his colleague, Francisco Pérez Sierra, who is known to have done so in the late 17^th century.

Hiepes’ presentation of flowers emerging from the earth in large flowerpots, as well as the pots themselves, is quite original for 17^th century Spain, and he may well have been the only artist to paint in that manner, possibly because he lived and worked in Valencia, a city famous for its gardens, flowers and fruit. The work also bears an inscription in Valencian—Sens dubte que qui a pinta, tenia cinc dits en cada ma (Whoever painted this undoubtedly had five fingers on each hand)—a jocular reference to this master’s skill with the brushes. There are other paintings like this one, and even an unsigned one that has all the same details except for the dog, which has been transformed into a monkey. And they all seem to have been largely painted by Hiepes’ workshop, which actually increases their value by revealing the presence of collaborators in his extensive production.

Luna, Juan J., El bodegón español en el Prado: de Van der Hamen a Goya, Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado, 2008, p.80/81