The 17th century was the heyday of flower and fruit painting. While still lifes in the genre of “laid table” were popular in Holland of the time, Flanders became the center of floral still life. The favorable warm climate contributed to the popularity of gardening and the cultivation of indoor flowers. At that time, the science of botany was undergoing a period of rapid development.

Daniel Seghers was born into the family of a wealthy silk merchant in 1590 in Antwerp, the artistic center of Flanders. He began studying painting in Utrecht, where he moved with his widowed mother. When Daniel was about 20 years old, he returned to Antwerp, where he was enrolled in the Guild of St. Luke as a student of Jan Brueghel the Velvet — one of the founders of the genre known as “blompot”, or “flower pot”. In 1614, Seghers became a novice of the Jesuit Order.

Today, Seghers’ name is known for his images of flowers. He succeeded Jan Brueghel the Elder (or the Velvet, Flower Brueghel), a leading artist of floral still lifes. Jan Brueghel painted flowers masterfully. He was able to convey all the charm of their shape, brightness, and combination of colors. Alexandre Benois once said,

The main features of the flower still life of the 17th century are the steady adherence to nature, an almost scientific accuracy in depiction of each flower, shown in such a way that the plants are not obscured by each other, so that every single flower could be well viewed.

Most of Seghers’ works belong to the “garland painting” genre, where a flower garland is shown around a religious image, portrait, or another religious symbol. The paintings with garlands were designed by Jan Brueghel the Elder in collaboration with the Italian Cardinal Federico Borromeo in the early 17th century. Seghers refined his teacher’s concept and incorporated a stone cartouche into it.

Seghers’ paintings were usually not sold but were presented as gifts by the Jesuit Order and used to decorate churches.