The floral still life with a hanging tulip reaching to the shelf on which the vase is placed is a companion piece to the Vase with Flowers (ZD S 1997046). Both the vase and the flowers are characterized by swift painterly brushstrokes and impasto application of paint, typical of northern Italian and especially Venetian painting. The neutral background allows the rather freely painted flowers to shine in all their beauty. Still lifes painted in pairs or larger series had a primarily decorative role from the mid-17th century on and also later in the 18th century, rather than the role of a precise botanical study. They were often hung above doors (sopraporte), windows or fireplaces, i.e. at a height where the absence of naturalism did not disturb the viewer’s eye.