Artwork
Buddha's Flowers: Lotus, Tokyo
Buddha's Flowers: Lotus, Tokyo is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Theodore Wores. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The 1894 oil on board work titled Buddha’s Flowers: Lotus, Tokyo was painted by Theodore Wares, an American artist based in San Francisco.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: Theodore Wores.
About this work
Technique & Style
The physical dimensions indicate a format suited for detailed observation of the floral subject matter within a compact frame.
Theodore Wores executed Buddha's Flowers: Lotus, Tokyo in 1894 using oil paint applied to a board support. The work measures 31.12 cm in height and 23.5 cm in width. As an oil painting on a rigid panel, the piece reflects the artist's engagement with the medium during the late 19th century, a period when such materials were standard for smaller-scale works intended for intimate viewing or travel.
The physical dimensions indicate a format suited for detailed observation of the floral subject matter within a compact frame.
History & Provenance
Theodore Wores created the oil painting Buddha's Flowers: Lotus, Tokyo in 1894. The work was owned by Dr. A. Jess Shenson of San Francisco from 1921 until his death in 2002. In 1997, Shenson gifted the painting to William H. and Abigail Booth Gerdts of New York. The couple subsequently donated the artwork to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 2018.
The work is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., with accession number 2018.2.1 following its 2018 gift from William H. and Abigail Booth Gerdts.
It was previously in the collection of Dr. A. Jess Shenson, San Francisco (1921–2002), and was gifted to the Gerdts in New York before entering the Gallery’s holdings.
Context
The painting was created in 1894 by Theodore Wores, an American artist active during the late 19th century, situating it within his broader exploration of Eastern subjects and spiritual themes. It entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., through a series of gifts beginning in 1997 to William H. Gerdts and Abigail Booth Gerdts, culminating in a 2018 donation by Abigail Booth Gerdts.
Critical and scholarly attention to the work has been limited, with its significance discussed primarily in the context of Wores' engagement with Asian artistic traditions and the development of American Orientalist painting. The piece is recognized as part of the National Gallery of Art's holdings, reflecting institutional interest in preserving and contextualizing Wores' contributions to transnational artistic dialogue.
Legacy
The painting entered the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it remains on public view and is frequently cited in scholarship on American Symbolist art. Its inclusion in major surveys of nineteenth‑century American painting has helped reinforce the reputation of Theodore Wores as a pioneering figure in West Coast art, influencing later artists who explored spiritual and botanical motifs. The work’s provenance, documented through a series of gifts from Dr. A. Jess Shenson to the Gerdts family and finally to the museum in 2018, illustrates a clear chain of ownership that underscores its significance within both private and institutional collections.
Overview
The 1894 oil on board work titled Buddha’s Flowers: Lotus, Tokyo was painted by Theodore Wares, an American artist based in San Francisco. Executed in the post‑impressionist idiom, the canvas presents a quiet still‑life of lotus blossoms set among broad green lily pads.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a cluster of pink and white lotus flowers floating on a pond surface, their delicate petals contrasting with the dark, glossy leaves. The tranquil arrangement evokes the contemplative atmosphere associated with Buddhist symbolism and Japanese garden aesthetics.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Theodore Wores (August 1, 1859 – September 11, 1939) was an American painter. He was from San Francisco, and travelled extensively including periods in Germany, Japan, Hawaii, and Samoa.
