Celebrated Neoclassical painter Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema explores the rich tradition of Dutch Golden Age still life painting in this exceptional oil on panel. The Dutch-born painter is celebrated for his highly detailed scenes that captured the luxury and decadence of antiquity, usually complete with lounging maidens in classically-inspired settings. This work, however, is one of just three still lifes the acclaimed painter ever composed; a study for the important work is currently held in the Victoria & Albert Museum (London). It represents a talented beginning to Alma-Tadema's remarkable career; executed when he was just 14 years old, Alma-Tadema's natural aptitude for draftsmanship and intricate detail are already fully on display.

One of art history's greatest Neoclassicist painters, Alma-Tadema rose to prominence in England, though he was Dutch by birth. Queen Victoria herself awarded him British citizenship in 1873, and his works are heralded as significant part of Victorian art history. This work, however, is distinctly Dutch in both its subject and its execution. Brilliantly illuminated flowers, including tulips that reference the early 17th-century "Tulip Mania," are set against a shadowed background. Rendered with the utmost precision, they represent a stunning ode to this Victorian master's rich heritage.

Alma-Tadema would go on to achieve remarkable success in his lifetime. He entered the Royal Academy of Antwerp in Belgium in 1852, two years after he completed the present work. His earliest works focused on Merovingian and Egyptian themes, and he devoted himself to thoroughly researching his subjects, striving for accuracy down to the smallest detail. It was a habit that would persist throughout his career. In 1870, he settled in England, where his Neoclassical works were particularly prized. He earned gold medals and highest honors in Amsterdam, at the Royal Academy, the Paris Salon and the 1867 Exposition Universelle among countless others. Today, works by Alma-Tadema grace the walls of many major international museums, including Tate Britain (London), The Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), The Getty (Los Angeles), and others.