an extremely naturalistic way, composed into an elaborate arrangement that would be very difficult to achieve in nature – the flowers would not support each other so well under such an arrangement. In common with most flower pieces from the last third of the 17th century, the colours of the flowers are much more carefully balanced than in the earlier pictures. The symbolism of each flower was elaborately developed in the 17th century, but most of this concerned the introduction of a single flower into a Vanitas piece. Apart from Jan van Huysum, no 18th-century flower painter matched the skill of Rachel Ruysch. Reception Ruysch enjoyed great fame and reputation in her lifetime. When she died in 1750, eleven poets paid her their respects with poems about her. In the 17th century the Dutch were very interested in flowers and gardening, so paintings that highlighted the beauty of nature were highly valued. This helped to build and maintain Ruysch's clientele throughout her career. In her lifetime her paintings were sold for prices as high as 750–1200 guilders. In comparison, Rembrandt rarely received more than 500 guilders for a painting in his lifetime. In 1999 a painting by Ruysch was discovered in a farmhouse in Normandy and was sold at auction for 2.9 million French francs, about US$508,000. In March 2021, Ruysch's work was added to the "Gallery of Honour" at the Rijksmuseum. Ruysch, Gesina ter Borch, and Judith Leyster are the first women to be included in the gallery. Gallery References External links Old Masters: Overlooked Women Artists Works and literature on Rachel Ruysch at PubHist Flowers in an Urn Zoomable at google 1664 births 1750 deaths 18th-century Dutch painters 18th-century Dutch women artists Painters from Amsterdam Artists from The Hague Court painters Dutch still life painters Dutch women painters Flower artists Painters from The Hague Sibling artists