Belin de Fontenay continued the tradition of Baroque flower painting in France established forty years earlier by his master Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer (1636-1699) who, however, spent the latter part of his career in England. At first, this flower piece seems conventional enough, but the unusual plant depicted is seen upper centre left, the amaranthus, better known as love-lies-a-bleeding. Upper right are a carnation and turk’s-cap lily. The main flowers in the centre are pink damask roses, stocks, a large poppy and convolvulus (morning glory). It is unlikely that these flowers had any collective significance other than their sumptuous decorative effect. The elaborate symbolism seen in the early 17th century had by this time been abandoned.

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