Courbet painted Bouquet of Flowers in 1862, a year of intense activity and creativity, and the year that saw the production of his greatest floral still lifes. Courbet had left Paris for the small village of Saintes in southwestern France. His host was Etienne Baudry, a wealthy landowner with a passion for gardening and flowers and it was Baudry's gardens that provided the inspiration for Courbet's most exquisite flower pictures such as the floral that Christie's sold on May 27, 1992 for $1,540,000, establishing a world-record price for Courbet at auction. Miss Tully's floral depicts a simple bouquet, most likely picked fresh from Baudry's garden. Courbet's flower pictures appealed to a sophisticated group of collectors, opening up a new market for this type of intimate picture.


This painting has been examined and authenticated by Jean Jacques Fernier.