Artwork Page for De Poolse Muts

Details / Information for De Poolse Muts

De Poolse Muts

c. 1620–30

Balthasar van der Ast

(Dutch, 1593/94–1657)
Culture
Netherlands
Medium
brush and watercolor in red, green, and yellow with white heightening or grey wash on antique laid cream paper
Measurements
Support: 37.5 x 26.7 cm (14 3/4 x 10 1/2 in.); Matted: 49.7 x 39.1 x 0.3 cm (19 9/16 x 15 3/8 x 1/8 in.); Image: 30.3 x 19.9 cm (11 15/16 x 7 13/16 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 2019.1
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

According to Christian legend, carnations appeared when the Virgin Mary shed tears as Jesus carried the cross, thus the flower’s traditional association with Mother’s Day.

Description

Still-life painting began in the Northern Netherlands (present-day Holland) around the turn of the 1600s. Still-life painter Balthasar van der Ast made this precise botanical study of a pink carnation as a reference that he could add later to a painting of an elaborate bouquet of flowers. Van der Ast inscribed the name “The Polish Cap,” on the sheet to suggest that the flower came from foreign lands.
A vertically oriented watercolor on cream paper captures a carnation with fine, speckled shading and arcing strokes. Ruffled white petals, heavily streaked with red, dominate the upper half of the composition. A slender green stem descends from a segmented base, featuring a solitary leaf. Elegant brown script reading "De Poolse Muts" occupies the bottom margin, while a small monogram is tucked into the lower right corner, balancing the central specimen.

De Poolse Muts

c. 1620–30

Balthasar van der Ast

(Dutch, 1593/94–1657)
Netherlands

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork