Vase of Flowers by Jan van Huysum
Vase of Flowers by Jan van Huysum is one of a number of works that he did of flowers, many of which had similar names. So information on this specific painting is hard to find but it features all of the same elements of Jan van Huysum’s still life pieces. His early work was inspired by his father who was also a still-life painter and Jan van Huysum would travel to horticultural centers in order to be able to feature rare flowers in his art.
Jan van Huysum was from the Northern Netherlands and much of his work is from the late 17th and early 18th century. Most of his works are flower still life paintings but he believed that he had the gift for landscapes. He painted several landscapes in his later years and both his still lifes and landscapes can be seen at the Louvre in Paris.
This painting was stolen by German soldiers during the war from the Palatine Gallery in Florence, Italy. Its last confirmed location was a hillside villa in Montagnana, Italy where it was being stored in 1944. The location of the painting today is not known but some investigators believe that the painting is currently in the hands of a private collector. However, getting the painting back to its original owners can be difficult due to the statute of limitations placed on recovering stolen property. Many European countries have signed agreements to help return stolen Nazi art to its original owners or heirs. One investigator believes that the painting is in the hands of a private collector in Germany where the statute of limitations on stolen property is 30 years, meaning that there may be no legal recourse to get the painting back.