A surprising discovery in Van Verendael’s flower piece

During the 2025 Colloquium of the Belgian Association of Art Conservators, Sven Van Dorst presented a remarkable discovery from the restoration and technical study of Vase of Flowers in a Niche by Nicolaes Van Verendael. His research revealed that the artist incorporated real butterfly wings into his painting process, an extraordinary feat of craftsmanship that resonates beautifully with the seventeenth-century fascination for natural study and meticulous detail.

Flower still life by Nicolaes Van Verendael, showing a richly detailed bouquet of flowers and butterflies arranged within an architectural niche, painted around 1680. — Nicolaes Van Verendael, *Vase of flowers in a Niche*, c.1680

Lecture showing a speaker presenting research on Butterfly Imprints in a Still Life by Nicolaes van Verendael, with technical and microscopic imaging projected on a large screen. — Sven Van Dorst during his presentation on Van Verendael’s work

Anyone keen to explore the world of flower still lifes, their materials and hidden techniques, will find plenty of unexpected insights in Forever Flowers – Mastery and Meaning of Flower Paintings in the Low Countries (1600-1700).

Book cover of Forever Flowers by Sven Van Dorst, featuring a richly detailed seventeenth-century flower still life and the subtitle The Art of Flower Painting in the Low Countries (1600–1700).

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