Insects with Creeping Thistle and Borage

Often produced as pendants, Jan van Kessel’s detailed depictions of insects, flowers and plants were sought after by collectors. They should be seen in the context of cabinets of curiosities. Van Kessel belonged to a famous dynasty of painters and is indebted in style and technique to his grandfather, Jan Brueghel the Elder, and his uncles, Jan Brueghel the Younger, and David Teniers the Younger.