A Feast of Fruit and Flowers explores the significant contributions made by women artists to the development of the still life genre in seventeenth-century Europe. Still life painting emerged as a recognized genre during this time period, with subjects ranging from artfully composed floral arrangements to tables brimming with food. Many of the leading still life painters were women: at a time when women were limited in the subjects they were able to paint, still life was a genre that was deemed proper. Women were at the forefront of the still life genre and helped steer the development of the style from relatively simple compositions in the early 1600s to dramatic Baroque works by the end of the century.

This exhibition features paintings and works on paper by women artists from across Europe, showcasing art by Fede Galizia, Clara Peeters, Louise Moillon, Josefa de Óbidos, Maria van Oosterwyck, Maria Sibylla Merian, and Rachel Ruysch, among others. Subjects include banquet scenes, dishes of fruit, bouquets of flowers, and botanical illustrations. The exhibition concludes with an epilogue featuring more modern examples of still life painting, demonstrating that still life was a genre that continued to resonate with women artists over time and evolved to reflect changing eras.

The exhibition is curated by Dr. Bryn Critz Schockmel, Curator of the Permanent Collection.