Artwork
Woman with Phlox
Woman with Phlox is an oil painting by the Cubism Analytic artist Albert Gleizes. It dates from 1910 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
About this work
Overview
Albert Gleizes painted Woman with Phlox in 1910, employing oil on canvas to depict a seated female figure surrounded by blossoms. The composition presents the woman in a white dress, hair gathered, holding a bouquet of phlox rendered in pink‑purple tones against a subdued, earthy background. The work balances a calm presence with a structured arrangement of forms.
Subject & Meaning
The central figure appears relaxed, her serene expression and upright posture suggesting an intimate, domestic moment. The inclusion of phlox flowers, rendered in varied hues, adds a decorative element that contrasts with the muted surroundings, emphasizing a quiet harmony between the human subject and natural detail.
Technique & Style
Gleizes organizes the scene through interlocking geometric planes and decisive contours, characteristic of early Cubist experimentation. The palette is restrained, favoring earth tones punctuated by the brighter floral colors. This synthesis of structured shape and modest coloration creates a sense of order without abandoning representational cues.
History & Provenance
First shown in the 1911 Salon des Indépendants (room 41, entry 2612), the painting participated in the exhibition that publicly introduced Cubism.
First shown in the 1911 Salon des Indépendants (room 41, entry 2612), the painting participated in the exhibition that publicly introduced Cubism. It reappeared at the 1912 Salon de la Section d'Or (entry 35) and was reproduced in Guillaume Apollinaire’s 1913 volume Les Peintres Cubistes. The same year it traveled to the United States for the Armory Show (entry 195). In 1965 the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston acquired it through the Esther Florence Whinery Goodrich Foundation.
Context
Woman with Phlox was displayed alongside works by Gleizes, Metzinger, Le Fauconnier, Delaunay, and Léger, a grouping that solidified the term ‘Cubism’ in the public lexicon. The painting’s geometric treatment contributed to the broader scandal and discussion that propelled Cubist ideas across Paris, Europe, and eventually the United States.
Artist & collection
Artist
Albert Gleizes was a French artist, theoretician, philosopher, a self-proclaimed founder of Cubism and an influence on the School of Paris.
