1880
oil
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Nasturtiums is a 1880 oil by Henri Fantin-Latour, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a simple glass vase holding bright orange nasturtiums. The petals look soft and real enough to touch. Light hits the flowers from the side, making shadows and shine. Fantin-Latour loved flowers but worked mostly in Paris. He sold these still lifes to British buyers who liked the calm, detailed style. The colors stay soft even when the light changes. You’ll see his quiet mood again in works at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The painting depicts a vertical arrangement of double nasturtiums with bright orange and green hues set against a plain grey background. It exemplifies the naturalistic approach in French art of the late 19th century, reflecting the shift toward closer observation of nature. The work belongs to a body of floral compositions by the artist, who specialized in such subjects. The restrained composition and emphasis on light and color align with contemporary trends that influenced later Impressionist experiments.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Ignace Henri Jean Theodore Fantin-Latour (French pronunciation: ; 14 January 1836 – 25 August 1904) was a French painter and lithographer best known for his flower paintings and group portraits of Parisian artists and writers.
See the richer artist page
