''Flora'' is an oil on wood painting completed in 1559 by the Flemish painter

Jan Massys Jan Massijs or Jan Matsys (c.1510 – 8 October 1575) was a Flemish Renaissance painter known for his history paintings, genre scenes and landscapes. He also gained a reputation as a painter of the female nude, which he painted with a sensua ...

, which is now in the collection of the Hamburger Kunsthalle. The work depicts

Flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

, the Roman goddess of flowers and prosperity, sitting contentedly in a garden holding up a small bunch of red and white carnations, representing love and good fortune. They are positioned in the composition to hover above a landscape of the distant port of

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

on the River Scheldt. The sense of contented harmony is an allegory of the peace and prosperity of the city, to which Flora appears to be adding her own blessing. Massys had a reputation as a painter of the female nude, which he painted in a style reminiscent of the school of Fontainebleau, with which he had been associated. The view of Antwerp may have been executed by Jan's brother

Cornelis Cornelis is a Dutch language, Dutch form of the male given name Cornelius (name), Cornelius. Some common shortened versions of Cornelis in Dutch are Cees, Cor, Corné, Corneel, Crelis, Kees (given name), Kees, Neel and Nelis. Cornelis (Kees) an ...

, a landscape specialist.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flora 1559 paintings Flemish paintings 16th-century allegorical paintings Paintings of Flora Paintings in the Hamburger Kunsthalle

See also

References