Floral still life with watch, Abraham van Beijeren (1621)
Abraham van Beijeren painted only three flower arrangements, which stand out for their loose style - in contrast to the smooth, precise technique of contemporaries.
Even more striking, he does not show brightly colored flowers in full bloom, but a bouquet in moody tones that is past its prime. The pink poppies hang limply down.
Together with the open pocket watch - a symbol of the passage of time - this painting evokes a sense of transience. The nearly spent flowers are a metaphor for the brevity of human existence, giving Van Beijeren's seemingly simple floral still life a deep, serious meaning
