This painting by Antoine Berjon is emblematic of the investigations of a number of artists from Lyon around the theme of foliage. Influenced by the bouquets of Dutch or Flemish artists who, starting in the 17th century, had developed the art of the still-life, the artist here displays his technical virtuosity and his ability to imitate the elements that make up this exceptional bouquet. More than the Masters of the North, Berjon attempts to give an illusion of reality by painting flowers and fruits life size. Each element can be precisely identified. A small fly lights on the melon, rendering the representation extraordinarily realistic, in spite of the fact that tulips and poppies do not bloom during the same season.

Painted during the last months of Berjon’s stay in Paris, this monumental still-life was exhibited at the Salon of 1810. The painter had just been named professor of the flower-painting class at Lyon. Concerned with giving a new impetus to the silk industry at the beginning of the 19th century, the city was indeed looking for models for future designers who were students at the School of Fine Arts.