Provenance
Reginald Davis, Paris; (his sale, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 10 May 1909, no. 5); (Bernheim-Jeune, Paris). A.T. Hollingsworth, London; (his sale, Christie, Manson & Woods, London, 19 April 1929, no. 130); (Reid & Lefevre, London) half share with (M. Knoedler and Co., New York): sold June 1929 through (Galerie Étienne Bignou, Paris) to Chester Dale [1883-1962], New York;[1] bequest 1963 to NGA.
[1] Reid & Lefèvre, Paintings Sold, sheet no. 229, #68/29 gives acquisition source and half share with Knoedler (Lefèvre archives, Hyman Kreitman Research Centre, Tate Britain, London, TGA 2002/11, Box 283). Also letter dated 22 June 1929 from Bignou shipping the picture to London (Lefèvre archives, Hyman Kreitman Research Centre, Tate Britain, London, TGA 2002/11, Box 218).
Accession Number
1963.10.146
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 62 x 74.8 cm (24 7/16 x 29 7/16 in.) | framed: 84.1 x 98.4 cm (33 1/8 x 38 3/4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Chester Dale Collection
Tags
Painting Impressionist & Modern (1851–1900) Oil Painting Canvas French
Background & Context
Background Story
Fantin-Latour's Still Life (1866) belongs to the genre that would make him one of the most admired painters in the tradition: the floral still life. Though he painted portraits, group portraits, and imaginative works, it was Fantin-Latour's flowers that earned him lasting fame, particularly in England where collectors like Victoria, Princess Royal, acquired his work enthusiastically. The 1866 still life likely presents flowers—a rose, a cluster of blooms, or a mixed bouquet—in the characteristic Fantin-Latour mode: a single arrangement against a neutral ground, painted with a precision that rivals Dutch Golden Age flower painting while maintaining a distinctly 19th-century sensibility. Unlike Dutch flower paintings, which celebrated abundance and luxury, Fantin-Latour's flowers suggest transience and introspection. Each petal is rendered with botanical accuracy, yet the overall effect is melancholic rather than celebratory. The year 1866 places this work during the period when Fantin-Latour was defining his personal approach to still life—a genre he elevated from its traditionally minor status through the intensity and refinement of his treatment.
Cultural Impact
Fantin-Latour's still lifes influenced the entire tradition of French flower painting, establishing a standard of refinement that painters from Odilon Redon to contemporary floral artists acknowledge. His approach influenced English taste through the collectors who acquired his work, shaping how floral painting was valued in Britain. The paintings also influenced interior decoration—Fantin-Latour's restrained arrangements appeared on walls where Baroque abundance had previously dominated.
Why It Matters
This painting matters because it demonstrates how a traditionally minor genre—still life—can become the vehicle for an artist's deepest sensibility through the intensity of attention brought to it. Fantin-Latour's flowers are not minor because their subject is humble; they are major because the artist's engagement with them is total. For contemporary artists working in traditionally undervalued genres, Fantin-Latour's career provides a model for how depth can transform category.
