Exhibition 'Floral cabinets' in Rijksmuseum
Three print rooms host the most beautiful floral prints and drawings of all time. In the 17th century, flowers were luxury items only available to those in the rich upper echelons of society. Still life paintings of flowers became immensely popular during the second half of the 17th century as a result of the rise of botany as a scientific field and an interest in exotic plants and flowers from other parts of the world. This was reflected in paintings, prints and drawings. During the 18th century, artists mainly focused their attention on collectors. Artists created works that included many different types of flowers which often did not have the same flowering times. They used these colourful floral studies to arrange bouquets on paper. Drawings would also be used as illustrations to accompany price lists.
