Toledo Museum of Art Project“Flеr Still Life”, a painting created by Rachel Ruysch in 1726, is the work I selected . At first glance what caught my attention was the large white flower in the center of the painting. The rest of the bouquet was almost hidden in the dark background. It wasn't until my second look that I noticed the bugs and all the other flowers. After a longer look, the white flower seemed to fade away as my eyes moved over the rest of the painting. The presence of the insects and the general darkness was the most interesting thing for me. The darkness brings with it an unexpected gloom and painful mystery, while the insects brought the painting to life. Rachel Ruysch was born on June 3, 1664 in The Hague, Netherlands, and later moved with her family to Amsterdam, where she grew up. One of twelve children, she was born into a rich and important family, which had artistic roots. Many of his relatives, such as his maternal grandfather, who specialized in nature and landscape painting, influenced his work. Ruysch's father, a renowned professor of anatomy and botany as well as an amateur painter, observed and recorded nature, textually and graphically, with a high degree of precision, a skill which he instilled in his daughter and which greatly influenced her future work. Some of his early drawings included scientific studies of insects and flowers (“Ruysch” 341-343). During his apprenticeship to the Dutch flower painter Willеm van Aеlst, when he was fifteen, Ruysch began producing various still life paintings, mostly flowers and woodland scenes, which "...followed the dramatically lit woodland scenes of the Dutch painter of the previous generation" ( Atkins 294-295; 341-343). “Ruysch studied with van Aelst until he died in... middle of the paper... the subject was the lower letters. The darkness actually accentuates the vibrant colors, while also creating atmosphere and adding a bit of mystery. Every little detail is revealed as you spend more time watching it. A wide range of colors, combined with mystery and an unconventional presentation of beauty, are all qualities I look for in art. Having the ability to express an emotion better than any words is what makes this and other work more beautiful to me. My goal is to create works that are thought-provoking and introspective like this one. Works cite Atkins, Christopher. 2014. Europe, 1450 to 1789: An Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World. Ed.Vol. 5. 1st ed. New York: The Sons of Charlеs Scribеr. Henderson, Andrea. 2014. Encyclopedia of World Biography. 20th ed. Detroit: Gale.Ruysch, Racheal. 1726. Still life of flowers. Oil on canvas. Toledo. Toledo Museum of Art.