Chinese Vase With Flowers and Fruits

Giovanna Garzoni was an Italian painter of the Baroque period. She began her career painting religious, mythological, and allegorical subjects but gained fame for her botanical subjects painted in tempera and watercolor.  As one of the first women artists to practice the art of still life painting, Giovanna Garzoni pursued her career with intensity. According to one writer, her paintings were so well-liked that she could sell her work "for whatever price she wished." Her works were praised for their precision and balance and for the exactitude of the objects depicted. Like in the painting we present today, she often combined objects very inventively, including Asian porcelain, exotic seashells, and botanical specimens.

Her refined interpretation of these objects suited the taste of her aristocratic patrons (like the Medici family) and could be found decorating their villas.

P.S. How many women artists of the Baroque period can you name? Meet the 5 greatest female Baroque painters!