Bathed in theatrical light, Bouquet de Fleurs by Pieter Wagemans is a rich, romantic still life that harks back to the great Flemish masters while retaining the freshness of a contemporary eye. Arranged against a sumptuous velvet backdrop, the porcelain vase bursts with roses, lisianthus and amaryllis, their petals rendered with astonishing delicacy. Pieter elevates each bloom beyond botanical study, capturing their vitality with a precision that speaks to decades of discipline.

Pieter has devoted much of his career to the challenges of floral painting. Each flower here is painted in turn from life, “alla prima,” then woven into an imagined composition. The result is a visual illusion: a bouquet that never truly existed in nature but appears effortlessly whole. Subtle vanitas motifs, the fallen petals, the antique silver box, lend the work a quiet symbolism, a reflection on the transience of beauty and time.

Pieter trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts under Jacques Gorus and Victor Dolphyn. He has exhibited widely across Europe, Asia and North America and his meticulous compositions are now held in prominent collections worldwide. His inspirations are clear. The luminous palettes of Rachel Ruyschand the structured elegance of William Claesz Heda appear to further inform his compositions.. But it is Pieter’s own sense of harmony, his unfailing attention to light and texture, that gives this painting its arresting sense of presence. Bouquet de Fleurs is not simply a study in florals, it is a masterclass in atmosphere and poise.