baroque spring

 i was checking in on kari herer's work the other day and added a few to my favorites on etsy. i've always been a fan of her soft palettes and incredible still life photos--but i was just so taken by these opulent flower photos which immediately brought to mind dutch baroque still life masters like jan van huysum or the work of Jan Davidsz de Heem. 

 kari herer on etsy

Jan van Huysum

 Jan Davidsz de Heem


for me the opulence of these paintings are almost overpowering. i can smell the scents of the over ripe  fruits and the flowers just passing their prime, there is a sense of imminent decay... the black backgrounds are incredibly rich like atmospheric cloaks of deepest darkest chocolate. flowers seductively burst from the dark grounds and various insects alight and feed   ... amazing today -- in their own day these kinds of paintings were perceived of as merely decorative and lowly...