Still life of poppy anemone, honeysuckle, rose, white delphinium, aster, morning glory and other flowers before a tree, with insects and a frog, a mountainous landscape beyond

This delicately rendered forest-floor still life displays a profusion of wild flora (poppy anemone, honeysuckle, rose, yellow briar rose, white delphinium, aster, morning glory, and the broad leaves of greater burdock) set before a shadowy, wooded backdrop. A garden tiger moth hovers at center, while a silver-studded blue butterfly and a frog animate the lower edge of the composition. In the distance, a soft, evening light suffuses a mountainous landscape, introducing a sense of depth and atmosphere that enhances the studied naturalism of the scene.

Fred G. Meijer has endorsed the attribution to Alida Withoos (unpublished report, 7 April 2024, available on request) observing close affinities with two signed works: one formerly on the market in 1979; the other sold in 2019. These comparisons—together with the botanical specificity, inclusion of small fauna, and the distinctive Italianate background—support the attribution to Alida. Though trained by her father, Matthias Withoos, Alida developed a more personalized style, characterized by a drier, more linear touch and a broader variety of floral species.

Although the canvas is now unsigned, Meijer suggests that it may once have borne Alida’s signature, possibly removed in an earlier attempt to attribute the painting to Otto Marseus van Schrieck (1619-1678).