Flemish school; second third of the XVII century.

Flemish school; second third of the seventeenth century.
"Orla de flores con marina".
Oil on canvas.
Measurements: 54 x 42 cm; 69 x 57 cm (frame).
The composition presents an oval frame located in the center of the painting, suspended by a reddish ribbon bow whose volumetric representation contributes to the trompe l'oeil effect characteristic of these works. Inside the oval, a marina unfolds: under a thickly cloudy sky, several sailing boats sail on a rough sea, while a small harbor structure is insinuated on the far right. The brushwork is fine and meticulous, with an atmospheric treatment that recalls the Dutch sensitivity to the effects of light and weather.
Around the oval is an exuberant garland of flowers, arranged symmetrically and sprouting from two ornamental vases with baroque scrolls. The garland includes roses, tulips, lilies, carnations, daffodils and various wild flowers, executed with great botanical precision and intense color. This floral repertoire, typical of Flemish workshops, shows a remarkable interest in the chromatic variety and the stony texture of each species.
The contrast between the chromatic and tactile richness of the flowers and the more restrained and grayish atmosphere of the navy produces a visual dialogue between the terrestrial abundance and the vastness of the seascape. The work thus combines two genres highly appreciated in Flemish painting: floral still life and landscape, integrated by means of a highly elaborated decorative resource.

Aesthetically the work is close to the painting of Gerard Seghers, one of the most prominent Caravaggists of the Southern Netherlands, author of historical and mythological paintings, although he was mainly a religious painter. Initially trained with his brother Jan Baptista Seghers, his main teacher was Gaspr de Crayer. Other sources point to his training with Abraham Janssen or Hendrick van Balen. Master since 1608, in 1613 he was in Italy, probably for commercial reasons. There he made contact with the followers of Caravaggio, especially with the Dutch circle, although it was Bartolomeo Manfredi who most influenced his work. Seghers also traveled to Spain, where he worked for Philip III. In the 1620s he returned to Antwerp, and after developing a period of strong Caravaggism, he evolved towards a more moderate mature style, with a more homogeneous light, richer settings and more varied colors, as well as a more marked linearity. He is currently represented in the Prado Museum, the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica in Rome, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Louvre in Paris, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and many other important collections.