The composition of this picture derives from a prototype by the artist’s father, Jan Brueghel the Elder (1568–1625), signed and dated 1618, in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels.¹ The Brussels painting, of an unusual almost square format, appears to be cut at the right, and probably originally included the book at the right with its embossed cover of mice, or a similar book. The simple dark background of both the Brussels and De Giey pictures serves as a striking contrast to the colourful floral wreath made of carnations, roses, anemones, forget-me-nots and cornflowers, balanced against a gilt tazza, or loving cup. The subject may refer to marriage: to the right of the arrangement a lacquered jewellery box contains a dowry of coins, pearl necklaces and a bracelet made of precious stones. The colours and textures throughout highlight the skill and delicacy of the execution.

Given that Jan Brueghel the Elder generally painted a number of variants of each of his still-life subjects, which were adapted in greater numbers by his son, it is significant that the Brussels picture is the sole known prototype of this type. In two other still-life paintings and one drawing by the Elder, a silver-gilt tazza of simpler form bearing a pile of flowers is the principal subject matter, and the one that is signed and dated 1612 (or the drawing) is the likely fons unicum for all the others by both Brueghels.² That tazza re-occurs in an unsigned painting now thought to be a collaboration between father and son,³ but it is worth noting that the tazza in the Brussels and De Giey paintings is of a more elaborate type than the one that dates back to 1612 and which recurs in others by the elder and younger Jan Brueghel—and that is no doubt a key reason why the De Gieys were drawn to it, given their taste for beautiful and elaborate silver-gilt objects.

Brueghel the Elder influenced his son to such an extent that past scholarship regarded the present picture as probably the work of the elder Brueghel. The revised attribution to the younger Brueghel was first given by Dr Sam Segal in a written certificate dated 29 November 1988, following first-hand inspection.⁴ Dr Klaus Ertz, after studying the painting in person in summer 1989, expressed the same opinion about the attribution in a letter of expertise dated 15 January 1990, judging it to be the work of Brueghel the Younger and dating it to about 1630 by comparison with other examples such as Flowers in a gilt tazza, circa 1620 (Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena),⁵ and The garland of flowers, datable to the 1630s (Musée Baron Martin, Gray).⁶ At the time Ertz stated his intention to include this painting in the planned (but never realised) supplement to his catalogue raisonné of 1984.

¹ Inv. no. 5013; oil on panel, 47.5 x 52.5 cm.; K. Ertz, Jan Brueghel der Ältere (1568–1625), Lingen 2008–10, vol. III, pp. 971–73, no. 458, reproduced.

² Ertz 2008–10, vol. III, pp. 956–59, nos 451, 452 and 451/1 (the drawing), all reproduced.

³ Ertz 2008–10, pp. 976–77, no. 460, reproduced. He had previously published it as solely the work of Jan Brueghel the Younger.

⁴ Certificate no. 13242.

⁵ Inv. no. F.1972.13.P; oil on panel, 55.7 x 42.9 cm.

⁶ Inv. no. 744; oil on panel, 51 x 39 cm.