Florilegium

Still life is a genre that has been explored by artists for an inconceivable amount of time. The earliest known still life paintings were created by the Egyptians in the 15th century BCE.  And in our country, The Netherlands, still life has had a rich history as well. The Still life paintings by Dutch painters during the Dutch Golden Age are some of the most famous in the genre. And of course, the Still Life paintings by Vincent van Gogh are some of the most iconic paintings ever made. The title of Kwaaitaal’s new book “Florilegium” is a reference to this rich history as well.

So how does the contemporary dutch photographer Danielle Kwaaitaal successfully take this beautiful tradition into the modern age? Ingeniously, she places her subjects under water to give a new dimension to the genre. The water allows for her flowery subjects to flow effortlessly, seemingly unaffected by gravity. In the photographs she managed to make the earthly flowers look almost alien.

Her new book, Florilegium, has been co-produced by Leica Store Lisse. The book has entirely been shot on the Leica S system. The digital medium format system allows even the most intricate details to be captured.