A dense, overflowing bouquet fills the canvas: a white lily and an amber tiger lily rise above two blush-pink cabbage roses, with a brick-red poppy, blue morning glories, purple bellflowers and drifts of tiny white blossoms around them. Trailing buds and autumn-tinged leaves curl out into the darkness.

A soft, warm light picks the blooms out of a near-black background in classic chiaroscuro, while a few small painted insects hide among the petals and leaves. Fine glazed brushwork and a faint aged-varnish warmth give the piece a quiet, opulent, museum-gallery mood.