Artwork
Still Life with Roses and Fruit
Still Life with Roses and Fruit is an oil painting by the Realist artist Henri Fantin-Latour. It dates from 1863 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Henri Fantin-Latour's 1863 oil painting, Still Life with Roses and Fruit, depicts a classic arrangement of roses and pears set against a neutral background.
Henri Fantin-Latour's 1863 oil painting, Still Life with Roses and Fruit, depicts a classic arrangement of roses and pears set against a neutral background. As a work in the still life genre, the composition focuses on the natural forms and textures of these botanical subjects. While the Metropolitan Museum of Art catalog explicitly identifies the depicted elements as roses and pears, the provided sources do not contain specific analysis regarding deeper iconographic meanings, symbolic interpretations, or what the specific combination of flowers and fruit represents within the artist's broader oeuvre.
The work is primarily defined by its material execution and the precise rendering of the floral and fruit elements rather than an explicit narrative or allegorical message in the available documentation.
Technique & Style
The work titled Still Life with Roses and Fruit is an oil painting on canvas created by Henri Fantin‑Latour in 1863. Executed in oil paint, the piece measures approximately 34.6 cm in height by 41.6 cm in width. The composition presents a naturalistic grouping of roses, a pear, and other fruit, rendered with delicate brushwork that emphasizes texture and subtle tonal variation.
The painting is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is part of the museum's collection of 19th‑century French still‑life works.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1863, Still Life with Roses and Fruit is dated by the artist’s inscription on the canvas. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of a bequest in 1929, following the death of collector Catharine Lorillard Wolfe. The work’s early provenance before 1863 remains undocumented in available records.
The painting’s creation aligns with Fantin-Latour’s early maturity, during which he consolidated his reputation for still-life compositions that fuse botanical realism with a muted, tonal palette.
The painting is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where it is recorded with the accession number 1975.1.204. It has not been located in the museum’s published exhibition histories of Fantin-Latour, and no documented loans or special presentations are recorded in the provided sources.
Overview
Henri Fantin-Latour's 1863 oil painting, "Still Life with Roses and Fruit," exemplifies the Realism movement. It presents a simple arrangement of flora and produce, characteristic of the artist's focused approach to still life. The work is part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. Fantin-Latour was a French painter known for his detailed floral compositions and portraits of contemporary figures.
Context
A 19th-century French artist, Fantin-Latour was highly regarded for his sensitive depictions of flowers and his insightful portraits of contemporary cultural figures, including fellow artists and writers. His still-life works, such as this one, contributed significantly to his reputation for meticulous observation and a refined aesthetic, establishing him as a prominent figure within the Realist tradition.
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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.
