Artwork
Pansies
Pansies is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Henri Fantin-Latour. It dates from 1903 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Henri Fantin-Latour's 1903 oil painting, titled Pansies, presents a still life composition centered on the depiction of flowers and leaves.
Henri Fantin-Latour's 1903 oil painting, titled Pansies, presents a still life composition centered on the depiction of flowers and leaves. As indicated by the work's title and visual classification, the subject matter consists entirely of botanical elements, specifically pansies, arranged to highlight their natural forms. The artwork functions as a study of floral beauty, focusing on the visual characteristics of the petals and foliage without incorporating narrative figures or symbolic allegories beyond the inherent nature of the plant life itself.
The piece captures the delicate textures and colors of the blooms, representing a straightforward celebration of the still life genre where the flower serves as the primary and sole iconographic focus.
Technique & Style
Pansies is executed in oil paint on canvas, a medium consistent with Fantin-Latour's mature still-life practice. The canvas measures 22.9 cm in height by 28.3 cm in width, yielding a modest, intimate format suited to close botanical observation. The composition is classified as a painting and takes the form of a still life depicting flowers and foliage.
Within this small scale, Fantin-Latour's handling is characteristically restrained, using oil to render the delicate petals and leaves with quiet precision rather than bravura gesture. The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where its condition and presentation reflect standard museum stewardship of early-twentieth-century French oil paintings.
History & Provenance
Henri Fantin-Latour painted Pansies in 1903, near the end of his life. The oil-on-canvas still life depicts leaves and flowers, measuring 22.9 cm in height by 28.3 cm in width. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains.
No earlier ownership history, commission details, or specific circumstances of its creation are recorded in the available sources.
Overview
Henri Fantin-Latour's Pansies, completed in 1903, is an oil-on-canvas still life that exemplifies the artist's dedication to floral subjects. While associated with the Impressionist movement, Fantin-Latour cultivated a distinctive style, particularly in his depictions of flowers. This painting showcases his refined approach to the genre, contributing to the reputation he established for delicate and carefully composed botanical works throughout the late 19th century.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
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.
