Artwork
Vase of Flowers on a Mantelpiece
Vase of Flowers on a Mantelpiece is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Édouard Vuillard. It dates from 1900 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
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- Inscribed:upper right: E Vuillard
About this work
Technique & Style
5 cm in width, confirming its modest scale typical of Vuillard’s intimate works, and is catalogued in the National Gallery of Art’s collection.
The work is an oil painting executed on cardboard support, a material choice characteristic of Vuillard’s domestic interiors that emphasizes intimate, decorative presentation. The composition features a bouquet arranged on a mantelpiece, rendered with delicate brushwork and muted tonal harmonies that foreground flattened spatial depth and patterned surface detail. These formal qualities align with the artist’s post-Impressionist approach to interior scenes, where everyday objects are elevated through careful handling of light and texture.
The piece measures 36.2 cm in height and 29.5 cm in width, confirming its modest scale typical of Vuillard’s intimate works, and is catalogued in the National Gallery of Art’s collection.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1900 by Édouard Vuillard as an oil on cardboard work titled Vase of Flowers on a Mantelpiece. It entered the collection of Prince Antoine Bibesco, later moving through several locations before being acquired between 1952 and 1955 by Capt. Edward H. Molyneux, who sold it to Ailsa Mellon Bruce in August 1955. Bruce subsequently bequeathed the work to the National Gallery of Art in 1970. The provenance is documented through correspondence in the Gallery Archives and curatorial records.
Vase of Flowers on a Mantelpiece is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Prior to Molyneux's ownership, the piece was possibly in the collection of Prince Antoine Bibesco. The provided records detail this chain of custody but do not list specific public exhibitions or an inventory accession number.
Overview
Created circa 1900, this oil painting on cardboard shows a modest interior arrangement: a small vase of pink and white blossoms rests on a dark mantel, set before a light wall that bears a mirror. The reflected surface hints at the surrounding room, while subtle shifts of light and shadow give the scene a quiet, intimate atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The work focuses on everyday domestic objects, elevating a simple floral arrangement to the center of visual attention. By placing the vase on a mantelpiece, a traditional site of display, the artist underscores themes of home, quiet contemplation, and the fleeting beauty of flowers within a stable, ordered setting.
Context
At the turn of the twentieth century, French painters were exploring the boundary between decorative art and fine painting. This work reflects that dialogue, merging interior genre subjects with a stylized, pattern‑laden approach that aligns with contemporary interests in Japonisme and the redefinition of pictorial space.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Édouard Vuillard (French:; 11 November 1868 – 21 June 1940) was a French painter, decorative artist, and printmaker.
