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  Louvre

  Paris, France

  16 works

  

  Museum details
• 

  Teylers Museum

  Spaarne, Netherlands

  6 works

  

  Museum detailsMap
• Flowers

  Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

  Halifax, United Kingdom

  2 works

  

  Museum details
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  Liechtenstein Museum

  Vienna, Austria

  2 works

  

  Museum detailsMap

Plan your visit to see Jan van Huysum →

• What is Jan van Huysum known for?+

  Jan van Huysum is known for his flower paintings, which sold for high prices during his lifetime. No other Dutch flower painter before or since has commanded comparable prices in their own lifetime.
• What is Jan van Huysum's most famous work?+

  It is difficult to name one single work as Jan van Huysum's most famous, but his flower paintings are certainly his best-known works. These paintings were part of a broader Dutch enthusiasm for flowers during the 17th century. Flowers were admired for their beauty and fragrance, and exotic species from around the globe were highly sought after. Flower paintings, such as those by van Huysum, allowed viewers to study these treasures and enjoy them year round. Van Huysum, like other artists of the time, did not simply record what he saw; he arranged blossoms that appear at different times of the year, manipulating forms and using dark backgrounds to intensify colour. These bouquets outlast nature, which theorists argued was one of art's virtues.
• What should I know about Jan van Huysum's prints?+

  Jan van Huysum (1682-1749) came from a family of artists. His father, Justus van Huysum (1659-1716), was known for his versatility; however, he found success creating flower pieces. Jan van Huysum also concentrated on flower painting, a popular genre during the Dutch Golden Age. During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, there was a growing interest in connoisseurship; collectors valued art expertise. Auction catalogues became more common, and collectors like Jan van Beuningen were well-regarded for their knowledge. These catalogues often included details about a work's provenance, condition, and artistic qualities, but sometimes obscured any doubts about the work to inflate prices. The art market was evolving, with collectors seeking high-quality pieces by recognised masters.
• What style or movement did Jan van Huysum belong to?+

  Jan van Huysum, a Dutch painter, is generally associated with the Baroque movement. The Baroque emerged in Italy shortly before 1600, then flourished until the mid-18th century. It subsequently spread to other parts of Europe. Dutch Baroque painting saw artists specialising in particular subjects. This specialisation increased the impact of individual paintings. Genre painting developed high standards of purity. The close-up still life was liberated from contextual strictures. Baroque painters did not paint outdoors at their easels. They might make sketches or notes outdoors, or record a situation using the camera obscura. This aided accuracy in drawing details, before executing the painting in the studio. The Baroque era saw a widening of thematic fields. The visual world explored new areas, such as still life. The still life excluded all human participation, its significance cloaked in sensuality.
• What techniques or materials did Jan van Huysum use?+

  Contracts between artist and client often specified the materials to be used, the timescale, and the extent of the artist's involvement versus that of assistants. Workshops, such as Jan van Huysum's, were usually north-facing and on an upper floor to obtain the best natural light. Several works might be in progress at once, as each layer of oil paint took a long time to dry. Assistants would prepare paints, clean, and sometimes work on backgrounds of larger panels. In the Haarlem workshop of Jan van Scorel, a painting technique was standardised. This comprised an application of lead white as a continuous intermediate layer between the ground and paint. Black chalk was used for underdrawing on this layer, and there was a preference for certain paint-layer structures and colour combinations. The lead white layer isolated the ground, added luminosity, and provided a surface for the underdrawing.
• Where can I see Jan van Huysum's work?+

  It is difficult to say exactly where to find Jan van Huysum's work today, as many of his paintings are in private collections, or their current locations are unknown. However, some museums that hold paintings by artists of similar periods include the Musée du Louvre in Paris, which possesses Summer by Arcimboldo, Odalisque by Boucher, and The Last Supper by Champaigne. The Musée d’Orsay, also in Paris, holds works such as Self-portrait by Van Gogh, Le déjeuner sur l'herbe by Manet, and The Gleaners by Millet. In Vienna, the Kunsthistorisches Museum contains Young Woman at her Toilet by Giovanni Bellini, Peasant Wedding by P Bruegel, and The Fall of Man by Van der Goes. The Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh in Amsterdam holds the works from the estate of the Van Gogh family.
• Where was Jan van Huysum from?+

  Jan van Huysum (1682-1749) continued the tradition of Dutch flower painting into the mid-18th century. He received good training from his father. He also taught another flower painter, Margareta Haverman. The baroque arrangements in van Huysum's compositions were much admired during his lifetime. The Dutch Republic achieved official recognition in 1648, after skirmishes with the Spanish. The success of international trade contributed to the ascendance of the United Provinces of the Netherlands (the Dutch Republic). Dutch ships sailed as far as North and South America, western Africa, China, Japan, and the Pacific islands. The prosperous Dutch took pride in their accomplishments; still-life paintings reflected this sentiment. These paintings marked the emergence of wealthy merchants as art patrons. Dutch still lifes suited the Protestant ethic, which rejected most religious art.
• Who did Jan van Huysum influence?+

  Jan van Huysum continued the Dutch tradition of flower painting into the mid-18th century. He was trained by his father, Justus van Huysum (1659-1716), who was noted by Arnold Houbraken as excelling at flower pieces. Huysum's arrangements had a powerful baroque line, which was much admired during his lifetime. He, in turn, taught the flower painter Margareta Haverman. Flower paintings had become a popular addition to the still life market after the "tulipomania" craze engulfed the Dutch Republic in the 1630s. This saw single bulbs selling for high prices. Paintings of these and other flowers were among the most expensive. Painters drew upon illustrated flower catalogues to portray flowers from different seasons.
• Who influenced Jan van Huysum?+

  Jan van Huysum came from a family of painters. His father, Justus van Huysum (1659-1716), was also a painter of flower pieces. According to Arnold Houbraken, Justus showed a "compulsive versatility" similar to Samuel van Hoogstraten. Houbraken noted that Justus was wise to persevere with the flower pieces at which he excelled. Van Hoogstraten's writings mention earlier theorists, such as Karel van Mander and Junius. Van Hoogstraten critiqued Van Mander's work, arguing that it was more inspirational than didactic. Van Hoogstraten's own approach was to provide a systematic classification according to principles derived from rhetoric, an approach influenced by Junius. Still life, even when deceptively rendered by artists such as Jan Davidsz. de Heem and Daniël Seghers, was placed at the bottom of Houbraken's hierarchy of genres.
• Who was Jan van Huysum?+

  Flower painting was a popular genre in the seventeenth-century Dutch Republic. Jan van Huysum was one of many artists who capitalised on this enthusiasm. The Dutch developed a passion for flowers during the early seventeenth century. Flowers were admired for their beauty and fragrance, not just for practical uses. The Dutch avidly sought new species from around the globe. Paintings immortalised flowers, allowing them to be studied. Artists sometimes waited an entire season for a particular plant to flower so it could be drawn. Often, blossoms that appear at different times of the year were combined in a single work. These arrangements reflected the wonders of nature, but also the artist's artifice. The Dutch Republic experienced "tulipomania" in the early 1600s. Tulip bulbs, introduced to Europe from Turkey, became extremely popular. Demand exceeded supply and prices soared; however, the situation was unsustainable, and the market crashed around 1638.
• Why are Jan van Huysum's works important today?+

  Jan van Huysum (1682-1749) was a Dutch painter celebrated for his still-life works, particularly those featuring flowers. He came from a family of artists; Justus van Huysum (1659-1716), his father, also painted similar subjects. While still life was sometimes considered a lower category in the hierarchy of art, Jan van Huysum's contribution lies in his meticulous and decorative approach. His paintings are known for their detailed depictions of flowers, fruit, and other objects, often arranged in elaborate compositions. These works appealed to wealthy patrons and reflect the Dutch interest in trade and commodities. The appeal of his art today resides in his technical skill and the beauty of his compositions. These paintings offer a glimpse into the material culture of the 18th century, capturing the textures, colours, and forms of a wide array of natural and man-made objects. His art provides insight into Dutch society and its engagement with the wider world.
• What was Jan van Huysum's art style?+

  Jan van Huysum painted flowers and fruit against light, airy backgrounds. This broke with the dark grounds favoured by earlier Dutch flower painters.