Since the study of botany and natural sciences was a growing interest in the Netherlands during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it is no surprise that Delft painters often chose this beloved decoration for their objects. The Delftware floral plates reflect this national passion for flowers and nature. Flower vases, or so-called flower pots, have a long pictorial tradition in the Netherlands. During Holland’s Golden Age, still life paintings of flowers and fruit ‘blossomed.’ The most famous Dutch floral still life painters include Jan Brueghel the Elder, Roelant Savery and many more. Engravers turned the lush bouquets of these renowned artists into prints, which were then available to other artists and artisans to be reproduced in other mediums. Plaques with this kind of rocaille self-frame are not uncommon in Delftware and must have been popular in the rococo era.
