Michel de Bouillon was a painter of great quality and remarkable skill, but little is known about his biography. He is thought to have been born in Ere, near Tournai in present-day Belgium. In 1638 he joined the painters' guild of Saint Luke in Tournai, where he spent most of his career. Bouillon mainly painted still lifes and garlands of flowers, sometimes with religious scenes or grisaille imitating classical reliefs. He was also highly regarded for his still lifes of "vanitas".

His works are to be found in museums and important private collections. Much of his work, however, remains unknown. This is primarily due to the fact that these works are not signed, and their high quality and stylistic closeness to other painters has...