The Floral World of Rachel Ruysch

Old Master paintings and drawings specialist Bob Haboldt has dedicated the past four decades to dealing in a wide range of artworks, spanning from Italian gold-ground to early 19th-century works, with a particular focus on Dutch and Flemish artists of the 16th and 17th centuries. Since founding Haboldt & Co. in 1983, the gallery has handled masterpieces by renowned artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Jan Brueghel I, Jan van Goyen, and Rachel Ruysch (1664–1750), one of the foremost flower still-life painters of the Dutch 17th and 18th centuries.

With a career spanning over six decades, Ruysch attracted patronage from European nobility, including the Prince of Anhalt-Köthen, the Elector Palatine of Düsseldorf, and the Florentine Grand Duke, Cosimo III de’ Medici. She also achieved the distinction of becoming the first woman admitted to the prestigious Confrerie Pictura, the artists’ society in The Hague. Over the course of her career, Ruysch became celebrated for her remarkably detailed flower still lifes. Vase of Flowers with an Ear of Corn (1742), a striking composition created when the artist was nearly 80 years old, features a remarkable bouquet of roses, tulips, carnations, forget-me-nots, and a double hyacinth, accompanied by an ear of corn resting on the ledge. The painting was presented at TEFAF Maastricht in 2023, a deliberate decision by Haboldt: “When I acquire certain types of pictures or a certain school, I buy them with TEFAF in mind.”

On the opening day, Dr. Lizzie Marx, Curator of Dutch and Flemish Art at the National Gallery of Ireland, encountered the painting on Haboldt’s stand and was captivated by the work. “There was a presence about the painting and its proportions that draw you in. Seeing it displayed in this ideal location confirmed for us just how special this work is,” Marx shares. The National Gallery of Ireland houses an extensive collection of Western European art spanning from the 1300s to the present day. “Dutch women artists were successful and hugely talented, and we want to be able to represent the history of Dutch art more comprehensively,” states Marx, adding that another important aspect was to expand the museum’s collection of Dutch flower still lifes. “There was such a space in our collection ready and waiting for a work like this. It was the perfect fit in terms of both the general display and the broader narrative.”

A late flower still life by Ruysch, the painting includes some of the artist’s favorite flowers, with the tulip and the double hyacinth taking center stage. Marx notes the fascination surrounding the double hyacinth, a particularly rare flower in the 18th century comparable to the tulip mania of the 17th century. “The double hyacinth was something that those who had the means would want to cultivate. Ruysch adds this as a kind of status symbol, reflecting on the favored flowers of the time.” The lavish bouquet is accompanied by an ear of corn. This kind of decorative detail, known in Dutch as bijwerk (a term referring to enhancements or additional elements within a composition), allows Ruysch to showcase her technical skills beyond floral depictions. The inclusion of the corn in this still life is unusual, although not unique, within Ruysch’s œuvre, as Marx notes that corn has appeared in her earlier “forest floor” scenes. Yet, whether its presence in this work carries symbolic meaning or serves as a demonstration of her artistic skills remains open to interpretation. “We don’t know if it’s a symbolic gesture, an artistic invention, or perhaps simply a stylistic choice to differentiate this composition from her earlier works,” adds Haboldt.

Born into a prominent Dutch family of artists, architects, and scientists, Ruysch was exposed early on to the natural world. Her father, the anatomist and botanist Frederik Ruysch, kept an extraordinary collection of curiosities. Immersed in her father’s world of natural wonders, one could presume Ruysch made copies after her father’s collection. She went on to train under the botanical artist Maria Sibylla Merian and became an apprentice to the celebrated still-life painter Willem van Aelst. Drawing inspiration from the tradition of Dutch 17th-century “forest floor” still lifes—characterized by meticulous depictions of insects, plants, and other natural elements—Ruysch developed a distinctive style that subtly evolved over her career. “The independent still life genre is ultimately where she found her niche as an artist, and she continues to paint this for the rest of her life,” shares Haboldt.

The evolution of the genre of still-life painting provides insights into Ruysch’s artistic choices. “The genre developed slowly since the 16th century, with early depictions of flowers often painted on a smaller scale and imbued with specific allegorical or religious meanings,” Haboldt explains. “However, by the time Ruysch painted the work now in the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland, still life had transitioned into a new era with the artist standing at the crossroads of the 17th and 18th centuries, bridging the Golden Age and the Rococo period, where the 18th century introduced a more delicate and joyful approach to the subject matter, adapting to the more modern taste for a brighter palette.” Although the flowers in Ruysch’s painting span different seasons, they likely do not carry the strong allegorical weight that they held a century earlier. “Rather than reflecting on mortality, this painting is reflecting more on life. It’s a wonderful work in the way that is emblematic of Ruysch’s career towards the end of her life. And a sheer bravado piece as well, a work that condenses decades of her knowledge into one painting,” observes Marx.

Notably, Vase of Flowers with an Ear of Corn belongs to a particularly productive period in Ruysch’s career. Despite the demands of having ten children with her husband, the artist Juriaen Pool II, her dedication to her pursuit remained. “It is a testament to her profound love of painting— it was not merely a career but a source of immense personal joy,” shares Marx. The year 1742 saw the creation of two additional works: another still life formerly with Haboldt & Co. and now in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston; and a further work believed to be a pendant to the painting held by the National Gallery of Ireland. The location of the pendant is currently unknown, but it likely depicts a bouquet of flowers with a pineapple, taking the place of the corn. Ruysch’s work from this era demonstrates her continuing exploration of flower still lifes, with smaller-scale paintings allowing her to create works at a faster pace. The Vase of Flowers with an Ear of Corn’s vibrancy and attention to detail exemplify her deep connection to nature and her love for the act of painting itself. “There’s always this common thread in all her work, which is an absolute dedication to representing nature and a commitment to the practice of floral still lifes, in which not one painting is the same, there’s always a new variation. It is as if she’s never tiring of the generosity of nature,” shares Marx.

Following its display at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich for the first monographic exhibition of Ruysch, Vase of Flowers with an Ear of Corn will be exhibited at the Toledo Museum of Art from April, 2025, before settling at the National Gallery of Ireland. “The fact that it can tour and be represented within its context is vital, and we should take the opportunity to tell the story of Dutch women artists and their contribution to the history of art,” shares Marx. For Haboldt, the painting’s inclusion in a public collection underscores its significance. “You need these late paintings as well. They’re part of a story, and it makes me proud that it has not only found a good home, but that now the public can read into that story.” Marx hopes that Ruysch’s Vase of Flowers with an Ear of Corn will not only enrich the National Gallery of Ireland’s collection but also emphasize the enduring relevance of Dutch and Flemish art. “It’s a period that produces works that are so relatable and meaningful. We hope visitors will connect with it and find resonance in its beauty and history.”