Cornelis de Heem came from a well-known family of artists specialised in the depiction of opulent arrangements of flowers, fruit, vessels and books. Cornelis became a member of the Antwerp guild in 1660, and apart from a short period spent in his birthplace of Leiden, he remained in Antwerp throughout his entire career. Cornelis‘ oeuvre differs from that of his father in its cooler, more starkly contrasting colour palette and the slightly more pronounced contours of his motifs.