13. Frans Mortelmans
In the 19th century, paintings featuring flowers were particularly popular. They capture the imagination, are symbols of grace and refinement and are the perfect fit for bourgeois interiors where real bouquets can also be admired. And something that has been true for centuries: a painted bouquet also blooms in winter! Numerous artists therefore integrated bouquets in their work. This often resulted in relatively traditional images, but some artists went a step further.
Antwerp-based artist Frans Mortelmans, brother of renowned composer Lodewijk Mortelmans, for instance, liked to offer viewers a glimpse into the creative process of those floral pieces. Or more specifically: the place where it all happened, the artist's studio.
In Frans Mortelmans at His Studio in front of His Easel, Mortelmans is painting his beloved yellow roses. He gazes agreeably at his own work. Is he satisfied or is a finishing touch still required?
Anyone looking at the work is joining Mortelmans in his observation. The bouquet he is painting stands on a table. The painting he is working on is also in the exhibition, as is a small version of the same flower arrangement.
There are other paintings in which Mortelmans depicts his studio, although you sometimes have to search for it. Look closely at the painting with the two bouquets of roses: one red and one pink, with a Delft pot next to it. Mortelmans was incredibly fond of flowers, that much is clear, and roses were his favourite. He often painted them in a single shade of colour because he wasn't keen on a profusion of colourful explosions. The reflection in the mirror betrays the location: you not only see the roses, but also the base of... an easel. Once again, we find ourselves in Mortelman's studio!
This kind of mirror renders the scene more lively. Mortelmans also managed to retain a sense of intrigue in his still lifes in other ways, by adding extra elements to give the composition more substance. Thus, characters, often a woman or girl, are included to enliven the scene.
This is the case in Visiting the studio. Several strategies come together in this work: a character - the girl - steps in and becomes one with the bouquet she is smelling. The white flowers merge in a fluid movement with her wavy hair and dress. On the right are some shiny bottles, but Mortelmans goes a step further at the top on the left: a second still life appears in the recess of the window. In this regard he seemingly returns to the early years of still life: an austere, neutral and dark box with a few vases, brightly lit.