Ruysch, Rachel

Dutch painter of flower still lifes. She belonged to the last generation of Dutch artists who specialized in flower painting. Ruysch's generous bouquets show rare and exotic flowers of different seasons together in full bloom.
Rachel Ruysch is noted for particularly lively compositions. In Flower Still Life (after 1700, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio), twisting tangles of poppies, peonies, morning glories, snap dragons, and other flowers lend an extraordinary vitality. A sense of depth and drama is achieved through highlights and chiaroscuro (strong contrasts of light and dark). However, in her later oil paintings Rachel Ruysch downplayed shading and depicted flowers flat up against the picture plane. The varied textures and colors of the flowers form decorative patterns, which was characteristic of many 18th-century still lifes. Rachel Ruysch created more than 100 signed artworks, painting until the age of 80.

You can buy Ruysch fine art reproduction oil paintings at Bohemian Fine Art. Just click on the 'Back' button.

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