The unknown painter of this still life was probably influenced by Jan Davidsz de Heem, the best known of seventeenth-century still life and flower painters whose work unified the Dutch and Flemish still life traditions.

Flower paintings were highly appreciated in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Although these images sometimes alluded to the ephemerality of life, the painted blooms could also represent luxury since flower gardens were the preserve of the wealthy. Artists sometimes combined the fruit and flowers of different seasons, and here holly with berries is shown together with tulips and roses.