"The Flowers" (1671) is a typical example of Abraham Bruegel's still life from his Roman period of creative work. A decorated bronze vase with a bouquet of tulips, chrysanthemums, daffodils, bluebells, and other flowers is depicted on a dark background. Some are fully opened or have buds, while others have faded. Most northern artists deliberately depicted flowers at different stages of life, demonstrating the transience of existence. A dry branch and a withered tulip with a butterfly, a symbol of the human soul, emphasise the theme of "vanity of vanities" or the mortality of everything earthly.