Open full image Pin

Orchid Blossoms

Martin Johnson Heade

1873

unspecified

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

American Impressionism Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Still Life

Dominant colour

Orchid Blossoms is a 1873 unspecified by Martin Johnson Heade, a American Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Martin Johnson Heade
When & what style?: 1873 · American Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see a single pale-pink orchid bloom resting on a mossy rock, its petals lit by soft sunlight. Heade painted this after traveling through Central and South America. He loved orchids and made dozens of them, often pairing them with hummingbirds—though here, the bird is missing. The quiet focus feels almost scientific, like a botanist’s sketch. If you like this, look up other works in the subject: america, american.

The story of this work

Overview

At the time he created this work, Martin Johnson Heade had made three trips to Central and South America. As an outgrowth of these experiences, he made a large number of paintings of birds and flowers, especially orchids, in a tropical setting.