Carel de Vogelaer
Illustration — Flowers in a vase with rabbit Karel van Vogelaer or Carel de Vogelaer, nicknamed Distelbloem (Thistle flower) (1653 - 8 August 1695) was a Dutch still life painter from Maastricht primarily active in Italy where he was known as ' Carlo dei Fiori. He made a name with his elaborate Baroque flower pieces often with figures painted in by other artists.
Also recorded as Carlo Dei Fiori Vogelaer · Carlo dei Fiori · Distelbloom Vogelaer · Karel Van Vogelaer
Carel de Vogelaer

Anthoni Schoonjans · Public domain
- Born
- Carel de Vogelaer was born on 1 January 1653. · Maastricht.
- Died
- Carel de Vogelaer died on 8 August 1695. · Rome.
- Nationality
- Netherlands
- Occupation
- botanical illustrator · painter
- Fields
- painting
- Known for
- Roses in an Urn · Carnations in an Urn · Still Life with Game
- Languages
- Dutch
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Documentary summary
Illustration — Flowers in a vase with rabbit Karel van Vogelaer or Carel de Vogelaer, nicknamed Distelbloem (Thistle flower) (1653 - 8 August 1695) was a Dutch still life painter from Maastricht primarily active in Italy where he was known as ' Carlo dei Fiori. He made a name with his elaborate Baroque flower pieces often with figures painted in by other artists.
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
wikidata · Q5038987 · wikipedia · Carel de Vogelaer
In this article
Biography
Biography
The recorded working language is Dutch. The field of work recorded is painting. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are still life and floral. Places of work recorded in the authority are Maastricht, Paris and Lyon. Works named in the authority record are Roses in an Urn, Carnations in an Urn and Still Life with Game. Work by Carel de Vogelaer is recorded in the collections of Nationalmuseum, Statens Museum for Kunst, Mauritshuis, Kunsthistorisches Museum and Bavarian State Painting Collections.
Vogelaer was born in Maastricht as the son of Pieter de Vogelaer who was also an artist. From 1668 he travelled through France where he visited Lyon. Later around 1671 he moved to Rome. He is first mentioned in 1675 in the records of the Bentvueghels, the society of mainly Flemish and Dutch artists working in Rome. When he joined the Bentvueghels he took the nickname 'Distelbloem', meaning "thistle flower". The thistle is incorporated in many of his paintings as a coded signature. Another nickname by which he was known in Italy was Carlo de' Fiori or Carlo dei Fiori ('Karel of the flowers') for his paintings of still life themes of flowers. Other sources call him Carlo Volgar or Carlo Vogel. • Illustration — Flower piece According to Pascoli, he enjoyed immediate success in Rome and was patronised by many of Rome's affluent collectors such as Francesco Montioni, Marchese Niccolò Maria Pallavicini, the Abate Paolucci, and Giambattista Cefalassi. But his best friends were Luigi Garzi, Gaulli and Maratta, later Franz Werner Tamm from Hamburg, with whom he often collaborated. It is said, that he also got orders from Arcangelo Corelli and the Contestabile Colonna. In Rome Carel de Vogelaer shared a house with fellow Flemish painter Anthoni Schoonjans in the Via Margutta in the mid 1680s. By 1686 he had moved to the Via del Babuino. He trained or worked in the studio of Carlo Maratti. This had a major influence on his work. • Illustration — Portrait of a young woman as Flora, figure by Carlo Maratti Vogelaer created many works together with other well-known artists with whom he was also friends, like Carlo Maratti, Luigi Garzi, Giovanni Battista Gaulli, Anthoni Schoonjans and Filippo Lauri and Mario Nuzzi (called 'Mario de' Fiori'). He died in Rome at the age of 42.
Work
Work
Carel de Vogelaer is now mainly known for his flower pieces. He also painted fruit and game pieces but none of these works are known. Only a few signed works exist.
Identity
Identity
Carel de Vogelaer is recorded with the occupation botanical illustrator. Classed in the genre floral painting. Recorded as a citizen of Netherlands. Still life with flowers.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1653
Carel de Vogelaer was born on 1 January 1653.
1695
Carel de Vogelaer died on 8 August 1695.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Carel de Vogelaer was born at Maastricht.
Birthplace
Carel de Vogelaer died at Rome.
Deathplace
Maastricht.
Birth place
Rome.
Death place
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q5038987: Carel de VogelaerWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
The authorities additionally record the headings Carlo Dei Fiori Vogelaer, Carlo dei Fiori, Distelbloom Vogelaer, Karel Van Vogelaer and Carlo dei Fiori Distelbloom. His recorded language was Dutch. Work and production. Works recorded as notable number 3: Roses in an Urn, Carnations in an Urn and Still Life with Game. His recorded genres are still life and floral.
Identity and origins
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Paintings
19,183 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
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- Carel FabritiusArtist
- Carel Lodewijk HansenArtist
- Carel van FalensArtist
- Carel van SavoyenArtist
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