Flowers on a Window Ledge

Flowers on a Window Ledge is executed in oil paint on canvas, a traditional support that has allowed the work to retain its structural integrity through successive owners. The composition measures 61 by 50.8 centimeters, a relatively modest scale that suits the intimate still-life subject of flowers arranged on a sill. La Farge's handling of oil paint in this early period demonstrates careful attention to the rendering of botanical detail, consistent with the still-life genre classification.

The painting's documented provenance across multiple private collections and institutional holdings, culminating in its acquisition by the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1949 and subsequent transfer to the National Gallery of Art in 2014, indicates that the work has remained in stable condition, with no recorded restoration interventions or conservation issues noted in the available records.

John La Farge executed 'Flowers on a Window Ledge' in 1861 as an oil painting on canvas. The work entered the market through the Doll and Richards Gallery in Boston, where George Baty Blake purchased it in September 1874. Upon Blake's death in 1884, the painting passed to his son, George Baty Blake, Jr., who retained ownership until approximately 1905.

Following a period at the Walter Rowlands Gallery in Boston, the piece was sold in 1912 to Daniel Merriman of Worcester. It subsequently remained within the Merriman family, passing to his wife, Helen Bigelow Merriman, by 1914, and later to their son, Roger Bigelow Merriman, by 1936. After Roger's death, his widow held the work until 1947, when it was consigned to Victor Spark and Macbeth Gallery in New York.

The Corcoran Gallery of Art acquired the painting in 1949, and it was ultimately transferred to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 2014.

Flowers on a Window Ledge is presently held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., which acquired the painting in 2014 from the Corcoran Gallery of Art; the Corcoran had purchased it in 1949. Earlier in its institutional history the work passed through several private collections, including those of Daniel Merriman and Roger Bigelow Merriman, and was handled by dealers such as Doll and Richards Gallery, Walter Rowlands Gallery, and Victor Spark and Macbeth Gallery between the 1870s and 1940s. No specific inventory or accession number is recorded in the available sources, and no exhibition history beyond the documented chain of ownership transfers is provided.

The painting Flowers on a Window Ledge was executed by John La Farge in 1861 as an oil on canvas still‑life depicting a flower. Its subject reflects La Farge’s early focus on domestic interior motifs. The work changed hands several times before entering the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1949 and was acquired by the National Gallery of Art in 2014.

Its presence in a major national collection highlights its relevance to the development of American still‑life in the nineteenth century.

The 1861 oil on canvas by John La Farge, titled Flowers on a Window Ledge, entered the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1949 and was transferred to the National Gallery of Art in 2014, ensuring its preservation and public display. Its documented provenance, from the Doll and Richards Gallery through the Blake and Merriman families to Victor Spark and Macbeth Gallery, highlights a continuous scholarly and market interest that has positioned the work as a reference point for studies of American still‑life painting. The painting’s presence in a major federal collection has contributed to renewed academic discussion of La Farge’s role in 19th‑century floral subjects.

John La Farge's painting, Flowers on a Window Ledge, created around 1861, is an oil on canvas still life. This early work in his career showcases a detailed floral arrangement, capturing a moment of natural beauty. The composition highlights the artist's developing interest in light and texture, presenting a singular bloom with careful attention to its form and environment.