Index

Flowers in a Blue Vase (1608), by Jan Brueghel the elder (index drawing by Sam Segal)

An opulent flower bouquet is placed in a Wan-li vase decorated with a deer and floral medallions and with a protruding mascaraon, on a gilt foot. A twig of hazelnuts and some flowers and insects are seen on the table top in front. There was no existing inventory of this painting so we asked botanists and entomologists to help identify the plants and insects. Dr. Michael Khien (director Botanischer Garten der Universität Wien) drew an initial index of the flower species, florist Dr. Claud Biemans also gave her careful scrutiny. Later on we received the indelible help of botanist, art historian and world authority on floral still lives, Dr. Sam Segal who was able to determine most of the species. Entomologist and director of Zoological department of the Naturhistorisches Museum Dr. Martin Lödl and Dr. Gaal-Haszler crosschecked the insect inventory.

The plants and insects are listed below with their Latin (L), Deutsch (D) and English (E) names. Bearing in mind, however, that some of the species are either no longer in existence (the tulip species affected by the ‘Tulip break virus’ for instance) or flowers which have been ‘modified’ by Brueghel’s artistic license to be bigger or smaller, more intensely coloured, or have discoloured with age:

FLOWERS

1. L: Cyclamen hederifolium   D: Alpenveilchen    E: Sowbread

2. L: Viola tricolor  D: Wilde Stiefmütterchen   E: Pansy

3. L: Adonis flammea  D: Flammen-Adonisröschens    E: Pheasant’s eye

4. L: Primula vulgaris alba     D: Stängellose Schlüsselblume   E: Primrose

5. L: Myosotis scorpioides     D: Sumpf-Vergissmeinnicht   E: Forget-me-not

6. L: Borago officinalis     D: Boretsch     E: Borage

7. L: Primula hirsuta     D: Behaarte Primel   E: Stinking primrose

8. L: Hyacinthoides nonscripta D: Atlantische Hasenglöckchen  E: Bluebell

9. L: Rosa x alba subplena     D: Weiße Bauernrose    E: White rose

10. L: Cheiranthus cheiri plenus     D: Goldlack (?)   E: Double wallflower

11. L: Narcissus moschatus   D: Moschus-Narzisse   E: Musk daffodil

12. L: Matthiola incana alba   D: Weiße Garten-Levkoje   E: White stock

13. L: Vinca minor     D: Kleine Immergrün     E: Periwinkle

14. L: Fritillaria meleagris  D: Schachblume  E: Snake’s head fritillary

15. L: Narcissus pseudonarcissus   D: Gelbe Narzisse   E: Daffodil

16. L: Anemone coronaria pseudoplena  D: Kronen-Anemone   E: Poppy anemone

17. L: Anemone hortensis  D: Stern-Anemone   E: Star anemone

18. L.Narcissus triandrus var. albus  D: Engelstränen-Narzisse  E: White angel’s tears

19. L. Fritillaria meleagris alba D: Schachblume E: Snake’s head fritillary

20. L. Consolida ambigua   D: Feldrittersporne   E: Larkspur

21. L: Anemone coronaria alba D: Weiße Ster-Anemone  E: White star anemone

22. L. Narcissus jonquilla   D: Jonquille   E: Jonquil

23. L. Narcissus papyraceus  D: Weihnachts-Narzisse  E: Paperwhite narcissus

24. L. Iris susiana   D: ?   E: Mourining iris

25. L: Matthiola incana parva alba D: Weiße Garten-Levkoje  E: Small white stock

26. L. Crataegus monogyna  D: Eingriffelige Weißdorn   E: Hawthorn

27. L: Tulipa armena x t. praecox  D:Garten-Tulpe   E: Tapered tulip hybrid

28. L: Anemone x fulgens  D: Stern-Anemone (Hybride)   E: Crown anemone (hybrid)

29. L: Tulipa stapfii   D: ?   E: Kurdistanic tulip

30. L: Scilla hispanica   D: Spanische Hasenglöckch   E: Spanish bluebell

31. L: Iris variegata   D: Bunte Schwertlilie   E: Variegated iris

32. L: Tulipa armena albescens  D: Garten-Tulpe   E: White tapered tulip

33. L: Tulipa stapfii x armena  D: ?   E: Kurdistanic tulip (hybrid)

34. L: Iris xiphium   D: Spanische Schwertlilie   E: Spanish iris

35. L: Campanula rotundifolia  D: Rundblättrige Glockenblume   E: Harebell

36. L: Iris x sambucina  D: Holunder-Schwertlilie   E: Elder iris

37. L: Rosa rubiginosa  D: Wein-Rose   E: Austrian briar

38. L: Leucojum aestivum   D: Sommer-Knotenblume   E: Summer snowflake

39. L: Narcissus x odorus plenus  D: ?   E: Double campernel narcissus

40. L. Tulipa armena alba  D: Weiße Garten-Tulpe  E: White tapered tulip

41. L. Tulipa stapfii x praecox  D: ?   E: Kurdistanic tulip (hybrid)

42. L. Tulipa agenensis x stapfii  D: Sonnenaugen-Tulp   E: Eyed tulip (red)

43. L. Tazetta narcissus  D: Strauß-Narziss  E: Chinese sacred lily

44. L. Anemone pavonina  D: ?  E: Pride anemone

45. L. Rosa gallica subplena  D: Essig-Rose  E: French rose

46. L. Hyacinthus orientalis  D: Garten-Hyazinthe  E: Hyacinth

47. L. Anemone coronaria  D: Kronen-Anemone   E: Poppy anemone

48. L. Anemone pavonina coerulea  D: ? Anemone   E: Pride anemone

49. L. Philadelphus coronarius  D: Europäische Pfeifenstrauch  E: English dogwood

50. L. Caltha palustris plena  D: Sumpfdotterblume  E: Marsh marigold

51. L. Scilla bifolia  D: Zweiblättrige Blaustern  E: Squill

52. L. Anemone pavonina alba  D: ? Anemone  E: Whote pride anemone

53. L. Corylus avellana  D: Gemeine Hasel  E: Common hazelnut

INSECTS

a. L: Lycaena phlaeas   D: Kleiner Feuerfalter   E: Small copper

b. L:  Anthocharis cardamines   D: Aurorafalter   E: Orange-tip

c. L: Vanessa atlanta   D: Der Admiral   E: Red Admiral

d. L: Hemaris fuciformis  D: Hummelschwärmer   E: Bee hawk moth  (in copy only)

e. L: Ischnura elegans   D: Große Pechlibelle   E: Blue-tailed Damsel Fly

f. L: Hemiptera   D: Schnabelkerfe   E: Landbug (considered by Dr. Martin Lödl NHM to be L: Pyrrocoris apterus E: Firebug)

g. L: Lilioceris lilii   D: Lilienhähnchen   E: Lily beetle

h. L: Chorthippus biguttulus  D: Nachtigall-Grashüpfer   E: Bow-winged grasshopper

i. L: Othius punctulatus   D:Kurzflügler   E: Rove beetle

j. L: Coccinella septempunctata  D: Siebenpunkt-Marienkäfer  E: Ladybird

k. L: Cleridae   D: Buntkäfer E: Checkered beetles

l. L: Scaeva pyrastri  D: Späte Großstirnschwebfliege  E: Hover-fly