Roses

The painting titled Roses was executed by American artist George Cochran Lambdin in 1878 using oil on wood panel, measuring approximately 61 cm in height by 30.2 cm in width. It depicts a bouquet of roses alongside foliage, classifying it within the still‑life genre. Following its creation, the work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view in The American Wing.

The painting’s provenance reflects its acquisition by the museum shortly after its completion, establishing the institution as its current owner.

George Cochran Lambdin's 1878 painting Roses is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is housed in The American Wing. The artwork is executed in oil on a wood panel and measures 61 cm in height and 30.2 cm in width. While the institution currently holding the work is documented, the provided sources do not record a specific inventory or accession number for the piece, nor do they detail its exhibition history.

Roses (1878) is an oil on wood still‑life by American painter George Cochran Lambdin, held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s The American Wing. The work exemplifies late‑19th‑century American academic painting, emphasizing meticulous botanical detail and refined composition within the still‑life genre. Its inclusion in the museum’s designated collection underscores its significance as a representative example of American artistic production during the post‑Civil War era, reflecting contemporary interests in domestic subjects and naturalistic representation.

Documentation from the museum and scholarly catalogues records its creation in 1878, dimensions, and material, confirming its status as a notable contribution to American art history.

George Cochran Lambdin's 'Roses' (1878) is an oil-on-wood still life depicting a cluster of pink roses arranged in a clear glass vase. The composition focuses on the naturalistic state of the flowers, distinguishing the work from contemporaries who typically idealized blooms. Lambdin renders the roses with a sense of temporal progression, showing petals that are beginning to curl and bruise, alongside leaves that exhibit yellowing.

This attention to the fleeting, imperfect stages of floral life reflects a shift in American still-life painting toward greater realism and observation of nature's cycles. Executed in 1878, the work demonstrates Lambdin's mastery of texture and light, particularly in the transparency of the glass and the delicate translucency of the petals. As a prominent American painter of the 19th century, Lambdin frequently explored floral subjects, and this piece stands as a representative example of his commitment to capturing the quiet beauty of domestic arrangements without artificial embellishment.

Unlike many still life painters who selected flawless blossoms, Lambdin chose to portray roses with a sense of authentic life. The petals show subtle bruising, and some leaves exhibit a yellowish tint, suggesting the passage of time. This approach imbues the arrangement with a quiet realism, evoking the unpretentious beauty of flowers found in a domestic setting rather than a formal display.