Jan Davidsz de Heem, Garland of Fruit and Flowers, 1650/1660. Oil on canvas, 60.2 X 74.7 cm, Mauritshuis, Netherlands.

The Utrecht artist De Heem is regarded as one of the most important still-life painters of the seventeenth century. He settled in Antwerp and specialised in profuse bouquets of flowers, fruit and ears of wheat. De Heem was the first to paint this type of decorative flower garland. A garland of grapes, apples, apricots and peaches hangs on blue ribbons. Flowers like carnations and orange blossom are placed among the fruits. But there are also snowdrops and chestnuts – flowers and fruits from very different seasons. So this garland is evidently an imaginary one.