From Tuesday 17 June, visitors to The Nivaagaard Collection can experience two rare works by Catharina Ykens II: Two Flower Still Lifes (ca. 1687-1688). With this acquisition, the museum includes the first woman artist in its collection of Dutch Baroque paintings.

Catharina Ykens II (1659-after 1689) was born into a family of artists in Antwerp. Her father, uncle, and brother were all painters, and she is also recorded as being a painter in official records. The phrase filia devot added after her inscribed signature suggests a connection to the Church, though she was likely a lay sister rather than a nun.

Only up to six paintings by Ykens II are known to have survived, including this pair of pendant works. They display a refined sensitivity in the depiction of the details: Chinese porcelain vases are filled with floral arrangements featuring bulbous pink roses, lily of the valley, auriculas, narcissus, honeysuckle, hyacinth, orange blossom, jasmine, and garden nasturtium. The compositions are executed with technical finesse and a good grasp of light and structure.