Composition 18

A super still life.
Spring flowers exploding against a backdrop of objects which match their beauty and are laden with meanings and stories for us to uncover.

A gorgeous gilt console table and swags of sumptuous silk set the scene. But look closely, and among the embroidered flora and fauna, real creatures nettle uneasily.

Surrounding the flowers, that speak of nature’s rebirth and life, reminders of how fleeting that life can be. A mirror where past and present collide, glistening seashells, the long-lived turtle among ancient manuscripts.
An exquisite rococo frame hiding a skull and, just under a particularly effusive striped tulip, a tiny Roman glass tear-catcher.

A reflection on the duality of life, on the ephemeral and the eternal, which flowers themselves so beautifully represent.