One-of-a-kind paintings, rooted in the 17th-century Dutch tradition.
Tanja Möderscheim, Dutch still life painter working in London.
Tanja Möderscheim creates still-life paintings inspired by Dutch cultural history and traditional craftsmanship. Working from her living collection of Dutch heritage tulips dating back to 1595 as well as fruits, birds and insects, she brings together direct observation from nature with materials and techniques informed by seventeenth-century Dutch painting practice.
More than floral and still-life subjects, these paintings are contemporary works rooted in the artistic, horticultural and collecting traditions of the Dutch Golden Age. Many of the flowers portrayed are cultivars whose histories span centuries, connecting the paintings to the same botanical world that inspired artists and collectors of the period.
Through the study of historical painting practice and close observation of her rare flowers, fruits, insects and birds, Möderscheim seeks to continue the Dutch still-life tradition in the present day. Each painting is conceived as a singular, enduring object for private collections, uniting cultural history, horticulture and fine craftsmanship.
The painting practice is informed by the study of primary Dutch sources, including seventeenth-century manuscripts, alongside contemporary research into still-life painting, horticulture and material history. Pigments are selected for their historical accuracy and chemical equivalence to those used by painters of the Dutch Golden Age.
Many of the subjects are cultivated specifically for the work. The artist maintains a collection of Dutch heritage tulips spanning the late sixteenth to early twentieth centuries, sourced from specialist growers and conservators in the Netherlands. Among these is the Zomerschoon tulip (c.1620), believed to be the only surviving virus-tolerant striped tulip from the seventeenth century.
Fruit is grown or sourced from heritage orchards for study from life, while insects and birds are observed in gardens and museum collections. This direct engagement with historic and living source material allows each painting to be grounded in close observation as well as historical research.
The paintings are presented in bespoke frames, including historically informed designs produced in collaboration with specialist craftsmen, some of whom use traditional techniques.
Selected appointments & affiliations
Fellow, Society of Botanical Artists UK
Invited lectures and talks (e.g., Strawberry Hill House London)
PhD in Biology
Selected exhibitions
Mall Galleries London (Society of Botanical Artists, Royal Society of British Artists, Society of Women Artists, Royal Society of Oil Painters)
Ronen Gallery (Amsterdam): Affordable Art Fairs London, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Brussels, Hamburg, New York
Fosse Gallery, England
House of Bruar Gallery, Scotland
Hampstead Art Society, Fitzrovia Gallery London
Recent works have been acquired by private collectors internationally, including in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia.
Giving back to the planet
Tanja Möderscheim PhD SBAF, Dutch Fine Paintings Ltd.
Registered company number 13902216, England
Studio and registered address in London