Jan van Huysum was a flower painter who followed in the mainstream of the Dutch flower-painting tradition. Among Dutch artists of this time, specialists in still lifes, landscapes, portraits or genre scenes were quite common. Van Huysum, who was a student of his father, Justus van Huysum, was one of the most popular still-life painters of the period. His paintings are characteristically marked by a technical perfection and love of detail. Van Huysum's works are actually more representative of the eighteenth-century Baroque style than that of the seventeenth century. His work shows a consistent fondness for putti figures outlined in bas relief on his vases.

Van Huysum was an accomplished draftsman and produced fine spontaneous drawings - some finished works, some studies for his flower paintings. He was particular about working from nature and would often delay work on a painting because he could not find a specific flower or piece of fruit. Van Huysum enjoyed considerable success and had many followers. His style of still-life painting remained fashionable well into the nineteenth century and still delights the eye today.

View Jan Van Huysum Collection