I’ll admit I’ve never been a big fan of floral still-life paintings. … until I saw several at the Frans Hals Museum and purchased a book about the genre. If you look closely at this painting by Hans Gillisz Bollongier, you’ll see tiny details like bugs, snails, and fallen petals. Not only do these act like botanical illustrations by documenting species, but they also imply the brevity of life and the wish that time would pass more slowly so we could enjoy the bouquet longer. The images usually also contain flowers that would have never bloomed in the same season, such as the lily and tulip, so it’s a bit like a fantasy bouquet. The top flower is always the priciest; here, it’s the “Semper Augustus” tulip, which could cost as much as a house.