Keywords: Espinosa, 1645, A bouquet of flowers in a conch shell, with nuts and figs, surrounded by a wreath of flowers and fruit.jpg Artwork Creator Juan de Espinosa ca 1645 Oil on Canvas size cm 80 61 Private collection object history credit line Auction sale of Christie's New York 29 January 1998 <br />In this unusual painting the artist has represented an octagonal framed painting of a still-life with flowers within a rustic garland of fruit and flowers The picture is a witty trompe-l'oeil that delights the viewer with its play on the idea of the imitation of nature an idea that in the 17th century constituted the very raison d'etre of still-life painting In the well-known story of the ancient painter Zeuxis - whose painted grapes were so realistic that birds tried to eat them - the pictorial values of illusionism and naturalism were linked together from the very beginnings of the genre in classical antiquity This painting was also probably directly inspired by the precedent of Zeuxis's grapes The painting within the painting represents one of Espinosa's own small still-lifes This is the painting that is signed by the artist who painted a number of other still-lifes in which a shell acts as a vase for flowers accession number WGA link 7544 http //www wga hu/art/e/espinosa/stillif1 jpg http //www wga hu/html/e/espinosa/stillif1 html en Faithful reproduction of an 2D art-work The author died before 1677 more than 100 years ago the image is public-domain painting still-life Spanish 1601-1650 PD-old-100 DEFAULTSORT Espinosa Juan de Juan de Espinosa 17th-century still life paintings in Spain 1640s paintings in Spain Oil still life paintings 17th-century still life paintings of fruits Paintings of grapes Conches in art Garland of flowers frame in paintings Animal shells in art WGA form painting WGA type still-life WGA School Spanish WGA time period 1601-1650 1640s still life paintings 17th-century still life paintings of flowers Figs in art |