19th Century Flowers Bouquets Gouaches, Set of 2

Pair of framed gouaches on paper representing each one a flower bouquet in a vase put on marble support and composed of peonies, dahlias, eyelets, tulips, periwinkles, forget-me-not, etc, in the style of Dutch still lifes from the 17th century. Two butterflies are flying around one of the two bouquets. Gouaches on paper are framed with a beige matting and a molded Louis XVI giltwood frame decorated with a frieze of pearls. Work realized in the late 19th century. Still, lives and mostly flowers basket are an interesting subject because the selection of the flowers was, in reality, determined by a specific and precise symbolic. For example, the tulip is a richness and power symbol (cf the “tulipomania” episode and the following financial crisis in 1737). Some flowers and other stuff can also evoke the Christianity: the butterfly is a spirituality symbol and associated with the soul and the Christian salvation; eyelets “flower of God” evokes the Passion of Christ because of their nail shape, but also fidelity, as the periwinkles, which are also associated to the worship of Virgin Mary.