An Early Masterpiece
Roelant Savery, Flower Still Life with Two Lizards, 1603
Copper, 29 x 19 cm
Centraal Museum, Utrecht (acquisition with the support of the Rembrandt Association, 1943)
Roelant Savery’s small flower still life from 1603 enjoys fame as one of the earliest painted floral pieces (12). Compared to some of his later profuse bouquets, this painting still looks relatively simple in nature.57 The blooming flowers are arranged in a green glass vase set in a stone niche. They are painted with consummate precision on the smooth copper plate: a red tulip, a pale blue iris, a fritillary, forget-me-nots, a marsh marigold, a carnation, a wild orchid, a pansy, a columbine, a French rose and, at the top, a sweet briar still partly in bud. These flowers hail from both native and faraway locales. The wild orchid to the right of the red tulip is a native species found in northwestern Europe (fig. 1). Not depicted in any other seventeenth-century flower still life, this flower could be found in the marshy environs of Amsterdam. On the stone plinth, two sand lizards and a beetle scurry around, recurring creatures in several other flower still lifes by Savery. A cabbage white butterfly has alighted on a precious shell from Indonesia (Monodonta labio), while in the centre foreground is a shell from West Africa (Pachymekania aurita). Such shells were highly sought-after collectibles at the time, much like the rare flowers in the bouquet. In the upper corners of the niche, a gravedigger (a beetle) and a moth have perched, as well as a common housefly. The latter in particular is truly realistic, looking as if it has just landed on the painting.
Roelant Savery probably painted this masterpiece before he left for Prague in 1603 or the following year. It announces the exceptional quality he managed to achieve in his flower still lifes from the very beginning.
Fig. 1 Detail of Roelant Savery, Flower Still Life with Two Lizards (12)
Apart from the hybrid beast with the dodo head, another remarkable monstrosity draws attention: a winged head with limbs, arm, tail, foot, claw, and a table as headgear (fig. 13). This peculiar figure also finds its origins in the repertoire of Bosch and Bruegel. Notably, the face of this creation bears a resemblance to none other than Rudolf II (fig. 14). This is particularly puzzling. Is Rudolf II being made fun of here? 96 Could this possibly be a satirical allusion to the mental state of the emperor, who in the later years of his life delved ever deeper into occultism, alchemy, and black magic? It is almost inconceivable to think that Savery would openly ridicule his lofty patron in such a manner, yet the resemblance is unmistakable. Perhaps this small painting was intended solely for the private use of its unknown owner and not meant for public view. Is it possible that Savery fashioned this painting for himself as a souvenir of his Prague years?
Detail from Roelant Savery, The Temptation of Saint Anthony (22)
Fig. 13 Detail from Roelant Savery, The Temptation of Saint Anthony (22)
Fig. 14 Detail from Aegidius Sadeler, Portrait of the Habsburg Emperor Rudolf II (p. 11, fig. 5)
Fig. 22 Robert van Voerst or Crispijn de Passe II after Roelant Savery, Three Elephants. Illustration in Crispijn de Passe II, Della luce del dipingere et disegnare / Van ’t Licht der teken en Schilderkonst, Amsterdam 1643. Engraving, 443 x 284 mm. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
