(Santorcaz 1614–1676 Madrid)
Flower Still Life with Tulips, Roses, Carnations and various other Blossoms in a glass Vase,
oil on canvas, 76.5 x 60 cm, framed

Arellano was first mentioned as a painter in Madrid in 1636. He specialised in still lifes of flowers. Only two religious subjects by his hand are known today. One can distinguish among three groups of flower still lifes in his oeuvre: flowers in vases, flowers in baskets, and decorative flower garlands, the latter enclosing either landscapes or allegorical or religious motifs, which as a rule were painted by other artists. Arellano seems to have received vital inspirations for his works from Flemish still life painting. He combined such flowers as tulips, guelder roses, anemones, roses, and carnations to form arrangements which often included up to fifty different species and which were mostly conceived to make a decorative impression. The artist frequently employed accents of red and white, which he complemented by an economic use of blue and yellow tones. As he did in the present composition, he usually – particularly in the 1660s and 1670s – placed his still lifes on plainly carved stone pedestals, rendering the whole against dark neutral backdrops.