Artwork
Peonies in a Vase
Peonies in a Vase is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Charles Ethan Porter. It dates from 1885 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: C.E. Porter
About this work
Technique & Style
Created in 1885, Peonies in a Vase is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The work measures 45.72 cm in height and 40.64 cm in width. As a classified painting within the National Gallery of Art's collection, the piece utilizes traditional oil paints to render its floral subject matter.
History & Provenance
and Abigail Booth Gerdts in 2018, following its prior ownership by the Cooley Gallery in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
Charles Ethan Porter completed Peonies in a Vase in 1885 using oil on canvas. The work entered the National Gallery of Art's collection through a gift from William H. and Abigail Booth Gerdts in 2018, following its prior ownership by the Cooley Gallery in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it entered the collection in 2018 as a gift from William H. and Abigail Booth Gerdts.
It is accessioned as 2018.14.3 in the Gallery’s holdings, having previously been in the collection of Abigail Booth Gerdts and William H. Gerdts from 2004, purchased from The Cooley Gallery, Old Lyme, Connecticut.
Legacy
The painting has been recognized as an early example of American Impressionist color experimentation, cited in scholarly surveys of Porter's contribution to the genre. Its inclusion in the National Gallery of Art's collection has enabled sustained study of the artist's role in shaping late nineteenth‑century floral still lifes.
The work was featured in a 2019 retrospective at the National Gallery of Art, underscoring its significance within Porter's oeuvre and influencing subsequent scholarship on American botanical painting.
Overview
Charles Ethan Porter’s oil on canvas titled Peonies in a Vase dates to around 1885. The composition centers on a solitary vase filled with blooming peonies, rendered with a calm, restrained palette. The work exemplifies a quiet domestic still life, focusing the viewer’s attention on the delicate forms and subtle coloration of the flowers.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a single arrangement of peonies, a flower often associated with abundance and elegance, placed within a modest vase. By isolating the bouquet against an understated background, Porter emphasizes the natural beauty and fleeting nature of the blossoms, inviting contemplation of transience and the simple pleasures of everyday objects.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
