Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 20 works by Jan van den Hecke in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Jan van den Hecke left, the most famous is Bust of the Virgin Framed with a Garland of Flowers (1660), in the collection of the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg. Close behind it come White Bust in a Flower and Fruit Garland (1647) and The Aftermath of the Battle (1653). Our catalog holds 20 works by Jan van den Hecke; the gallery has kept the 20 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
A young woman emerges from a dark, velvet void. She is the Virgin, her face caught in a soft, steady light that pulls her features from the shadows. Around her, a dense wreath of blossoms forms a heavy, circular frame. The petals are thick with life, pressing against the edges of the composition. Deep reds and creamy whites collide in the center of the wreath, creating a sense of abundance…
The composition centers on a white marble-like bust positioned within a dark, scrolled stone niche. This central figure is framed by a dense, circular garland composed of various botanical and fruit elements. The arrangement includes deep blue grapes, red cherries, and strawberries, interspersed with white jasmine and pale grapes. The textures vary from the smooth, matte surface of the carved bust to the translucent skin of the fruit and the…
A bouquet of anemones rests within a glass vase, positioned against a dark, atmospheric background of deep umbers and browns. The composition follows a vertical orientation, utilizing an asymmetrical arrangement that suggests the natural, unforced growth of the flora. Light strikes the scene from the upper left, employing a chiaroscuro effect that carves the forms out of the shadows. This directional light catches the translucent edges of the petals and…
A woven wicker basket overflows with a dense collection of blooms, positioned against a dark, shadowy background. The composition relies on a strong chiaroscuro effect, where light enters from the upper left to illuminate the petals while leaving the depths of the basket in shadow. This directional lighting creates a sense of physical weight and three-dimensionality, pulling the viewer into an intimate, eye-level encounter with the flora. The arrangement features…
In this 1655 composition, we find ourselves drawn into a quiet, shadowed corner of a Flemish interior. The arrangement is built upon a pyramidal structure, a deliberate geometry that guides the eye from the heavy, stone ledge at the base up toward the delicate, swirling tendrils of grapevines. At the heart of the work, a silver compote holds clusters of translucent white grapes, their skins catching a soft, directional light…
A clear glass vase rests upon a weathered stone ledge, holding a heavy bouquet of life. Petals in deep red, soft purple, and bright white lean against one another, their velvety surfaces catching a light that spills from the upper left. The stems reach upward, organic and fluid, anchored in water that reflects the world around them. Through the transparency of the glass, the light bends, creating subtle highlights that…
In this vertical oil on canvas, a dense arrangement of flowers occupies a glass vase, positioned centrally against a dark, monochromatic background. The bouquet extends upward and outward, creating a silhouette that fills much of the frame. The arrangement includes white blossoms with translucent petals, deep red roses, warm yellow flowers, soft pink petals, and blue blooms. Each botanical element is rendered with specific attention to texture. The rose petals…
Fruit and Flowers in a Basket1645 · Osterley Park And House
12
Still Life with Lobster, Fruit, and Roses1645 · Szépművészeti Múzeum
13
Flower still-life with carnations1659 · Rijksmuseum Twenthe
14
Still Life1650 · Finnish National Gallery
15
Roses, a tulip, and bluebells in a glass vase, on a wooden ledge1650
16
Garland of Flowers around a Bust of the Virgin1674 · Szépművészeti Múzeum
17
Still Life with Lobster and Musical Instruments1682
18
A Still Life with Lobster1675 · Hanbury Hall
19
Flower basket1650 · Kunsthistorisches Museum
20
Still Life with Crustacea, Fruits and a LuteMuseum of Fine Arts Ghent (MSK)
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Jan van den Hecke | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Kunsthistorisches Museum |
Vienna | 7 | White Bust in a Flower and Fruit Garland, Glass with Anemones, Flower Basket |
 Szépművészeti Múzeum |
Budapest | 2 | Still Life with Lobster, Fruit, and Roses, Garland of Flowers around a Bust of the Virgin |
 Hermitage Museum |
Saint Petersburg | 1 | Bust of the Virgin Framed with a Garland of Flowers |
 Kroměříž Archdiocesan Museum |
1 | Rosary Madonna in a Garland | |
 Osterley Park And House |
London | 1 | Fruit and Flowers in a Basket |
 Rijksmuseum Twenthe |
Enschede | 1 | Flower still-life with carnations |
 Finnish National Gallery |
Helsinki | 1 | Still Life |
 Hanbury Hall |
1 | A Still Life with Lobster |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
The composition centers on a white marble-like bust positioned within a dark, scrolled stone niche. This central figure is framed by a dense, circular garland composed of various botanical and fruit elements. The arrangement includes deep blue grapes, red cherries, and strawberries, interspersed with white jasmine and pale grapes. The textures vary from the smooth, matte surface of the carved bust to the translucent skin of the fruit and the…
A young woman emerges from a dark, velvet void. She is the Virgin, her face caught in a soft, steady light that pulls her features from the shadows. Around her, a dense wreath of blossoms forms a heavy, circular frame. The petals are thick with life, pressing against the edges of the composition. Deep reds and creamy whites collide in the center of the wreath, creating a sense of abundance…
Bust of the Virgin Framed with a Garland of Flowers (1660), Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg. White Bust in a Flower and Fruit Garland (1647) and The Aftermath of the Battle (1653) come next.
40 years old: Bust of the Virgin Framed with a Garland of Flowers dates from 1660, and Jan van den Hecke was born in 1620.
Bust of the Virgin Framed with a Garland of Flowers, White Bust in a Flower and Fruit Garland, The Aftermath of the Battle, Shepherds and travellers by a triumphal arch in the Roman Campagna, Rosary Madonna in a Garland, Glass with Anemones, Flower Basket, Still life with fruit, Flowers in a Vase with the Siege of Gravelingen and Bouquet of Flowers. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 20 works by Jan van den Hecke, dated from 1645 to 1682.
Mostly in Kunsthistorisches Museum (Vienna), Szépművészeti Múzeum (Budapest) and Hermitage Museum (Saint Petersburg). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1650s: 11 of the 20 works on this page were made then, The Aftermath of the Battle among them.
On this page, the earliest is Fruit and Flowers in a Basket (1645) and the latest Still Life with Lobster and Musical Instruments (1682).
Flowers (7), Petals (5) and Leaves (3), across the 20 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 7 of the 20 works on this page.
Baroque, judging by the originals on this page.
White Bust in a Flower and Fruit Garland, Glass with Anemones and Flower Basket: the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna holds 7 of the works on this page.
A master of Flemish Baroque art, Jan van den Hecke the Elder is celebrated for his exquisite flower still lifes and landscapes that captured the elegance of the seventeenth century, inviting you to discover his legacy.
