Vase of Flowers with a Triumphal Chariot seen frontally
1643. Oil on canvas.Not on display
Flower painting quickly became a sub-genre of still life painting in which several Spanish artists became specialists. Hiepes was an assiduous proponent throughout his career and he specialized in flower vases like the present one and its pair (P7913), which look like the work of no other Spanish painter. They are quite large works characterized by their monumentality and symmetry. Instead of seeking an overall effect, the artist attempts to giver every single one of the flowers its own, very precise presence, making each of his paintings a showcase of plant species. As is customary in his works, he plays with the contrast between natural beauty and that of manufactured objects. Thus, the recipient of such a floral display is a sophisticated porcelain vase with bronze appliqués, adorned with profuse figurative decoration (Text drawn from Portús, J.: Lo fingido verdadero. Bodegones de la colección Naseiro adquiridos para el Prado, Museo Nacional del Prado, 2006, pp. 64-65).
