Artwork
Roses in a Vase
Roses in a Vase is an oil painting. It dates from 1890 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
No further technical notes on handling, condition, or stylistic characterization are documented in the available records.
Roses in a Vase is executed in oil on wood, a support suited to its modest dimensions of 8.7 by 14.9 centimeters. The work is classified as a painting and is dated 1890, attributed to an anonymous French 19th-century hand. No further technical notes on handling, condition, or stylistic characterization are documented in the available records.
The small scale and wood-panel support are consistent with intimate floral still-life practice of the period, though the curatorial file offers no commentary on brushwork, palette, or surface state.
History & Provenance
Created in 1890 by an unidentified French nineteenth-century artist, this oil painting on wood panel entered the documented historical record in the collection of Captain Edward H. Molyneux in Paris by 1952. On August 15, 1955, Molyneux sold the work to Ailsa Mellon Bruce of New York. Following Bruce's death, the painting was bequeathed to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1970, where it remains part of the permanent collection.
These ownership details are derived from the museum's curatorial files and Bruce's personal notebooks held in the gallery's archives.
The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it entered the collection as part of the Ailsa Mellon Bruce bequest in 1970. Its inventory number in the museum’s holdings is not specified in the cited records.
It has not been recorded as included in any exhibitions in the provided sources.
Legacy
Roses in a Vase has remained in the National Gallery of Art's permanent collection since its bequest in 1970, affirming its established presence within a major American museum. The work's attribution to a French 19th-century artist, confirmed through provenance documentation and its inclusion in the Ailsa Mellon Bruce notebook, supports its scholarly recognition. Its physical dimensions of 8.7 cm by 14.9 cm, recorded in the National Gallery of Art's collection data, contribute to its documented profile.
Overview
Roses in a Vase is an oil painting executed on a wooden panel. The composition centers on a yellow vessel holding two large roses, one white, the other pink, accompanied by green foliage. The blossoms dominate the picture, filling most of the vase’s interior and drawing immediate visual focus.
Subject & Meaning
The work presents a straightforward still‑life arrangement, pairing the contrasting hues of the white and pink roses with the warm tone of the vase. The juxtaposition of the two flowers suggests a subtle dialogue between purity and delicacy, while the overall bright palette conveys a light, uplifting atmosphere.
Artist & collection
