Still Life with Iris
Peter Binoit·1623
Historical Context
This companion piece featuring an iris by Peter Binoit from 1623 pairs with the tulip still life to create a botanical display of prized garden flowers. The iris, like the tulip, was a collector's flower that could command high prices among the horticultural enthusiasts of the early seventeenth century. Binoit's Frankfurt-based practice placed him at the crossroads of Dutch and German still-life traditions.
Technical Analysis
The oil on copper allows for the extremely fine detail needed in botanical still life, with the metallic ground adding luminosity to the translucent petal colors. Binoit's precise, descriptive technique treats each element as a specimen worthy of individual attention.
Provenance
Claus Kramer, Küsnacht, Switzerland, by 1971.[1] (sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 13 December 2000, no. 9 [with NGA 2012.99.2]); purchased through (Richard Green, London) by Robert H. [1928-2009] and Clarice Smith, Arlington, VA; by inheritance to Clarice Smith; gift 2012 to NGA. [1] Kramer lent the painting to a 1971 exhibition in Zurich.
