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Lot Essay
PAINTED IN 1887, THE PRESENT PICTURE HAS THE SOPHISTICATED SIMPLICITY OF FANTIN'S LATE STILL-LIVES. AS IN HIS FAMOUS BOUQUETS DE FLEURS OF THE 1880S, IN LES ROSES THE ARTIST HAS FOCUSSED ON THE SUBTLE CHROMATIC HARMONIES OF THE FLOWER BUDS, CAST AGAINST A BARE, SOLID BACKGROUND, THUS EMPHASIZING THE DELICATE YET IRRIDESCENT COLOURS OF THE PETALS.
FANTIN BEGAN THIS NEW APPROACH TO FLOWER STILL-LIVES AFTER THE MID 1870S, WHEN HE PAINTED TWO OF THE MOST COMPLEX AND ARTICULATE COMPOSITIONS OF HIS CAREER, STILL-LIFE: CORNER OF A TABLE (1873, CHICAGO, THE ART INSTITUTE) AND FLOWERS AND VARIOUS OBJECTS (1874, GöTEBORG KONSTMUSEUM). FROM 1875, THE ARTIST DRAMATICALLY SIMPLIFIED AND DISTILLED THE STRUCTURE OF HIS PICTURES: HE ABANDONED HIS EARLIER, MORE COMPLICATED COMPOSITIONS IN FAVOUR OF THE SIMPLE PRESENTATIONS OF HIS SUBJECTS WHICH WERE MUCH MORE APPRECIATED BY HIS ENGLISH COLLECTORS. LES ROSES WAS AMONG THE STILL-LIVES THAT THE ARTIST PAINTED AT BURé IN NORMANDY, WHERE THE FANTINS REGULARLY SPENT THEIR SUMMERS. SINCE THE END OF THE 1870S, FANTIN WOULD, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE AUTUMN, MEET RUTH EDWARDS, THE WIDOW OF THE ARTIST'S OFFICIAL DEALER IN ENGLAND. AFTER HER HUSBAND'S DEATH IN 1879, MRS EDWARDS HAD DEVELOPED HER OWN BUSINESS ACUMEN CONSIDERABLY, AND WAS CAPABLE OF ENSURING THAT EACH YEAR FANTIN'S STILL-LIFE PICTURES APPEARED IN NUMEROUS EXHIBITIONS IN BOTH ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. THE UTTERLY BRITISH PROVENANCE OF LES ROSES IS THUS LINKED TO ITS STYLISTICAL SOBRIETY. THE ATTRACTION OF THE ARTIST'S ENGLISH COLLECTORS TO SIMPLE AND ELEGANT COMPOSITIONS WHAT FIRED FANTIN'S CREATIVE ENDEAVOURS DURING THE 1870S AND 1880S.
FANTIN BEGAN THIS NEW APPROACH TO FLOWER STILL-LIVES AFTER THE MID 1870S, WHEN HE PAINTED TWO OF THE MOST COMPLEX AND ARTICULATE COMPOSITIONS OF HIS CAREER, STILL-LIFE: CORNER OF A TABLE (1873, CHICAGO, THE ART INSTITUTE) AND FLOWERS AND VARIOUS OBJECTS (1874, GöTEBORG KONSTMUSEUM). FROM 1875, THE ARTIST DRAMATICALLY SIMPLIFIED AND DISTILLED THE STRUCTURE OF HIS PICTURES: HE ABANDONED HIS EARLIER, MORE COMPLICATED COMPOSITIONS IN FAVOUR OF THE SIMPLE PRESENTATIONS OF HIS SUBJECTS WHICH WERE MUCH MORE APPRECIATED BY HIS ENGLISH COLLECTORS. LES ROSES WAS AMONG THE STILL-LIVES THAT THE ARTIST PAINTED AT BURé IN NORMANDY, WHERE THE FANTINS REGULARLY SPENT THEIR SUMMERS. SINCE THE END OF THE 1870S, FANTIN WOULD, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE AUTUMN, MEET RUTH EDWARDS, THE WIDOW OF THE ARTIST'S OFFICIAL DEALER IN ENGLAND. AFTER HER HUSBAND'S DEATH IN 1879, MRS EDWARDS HAD DEVELOPED HER OWN BUSINESS ACUMEN CONSIDERABLY, AND WAS CAPABLE OF ENSURING THAT EACH YEAR FANTIN'S STILL-LIFE PICTURES APPEARED IN NUMEROUS EXHIBITIONS IN BOTH ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. THE UTTERLY BRITISH PROVENANCE OF LES ROSES IS THUS LINKED TO ITS STYLISTICAL SOBRIETY. THE ATTRACTION OF THE ARTIST'S ENGLISH COLLECTORS TO SIMPLE AND ELEGANT COMPOSITIONS WHAT FIRED FANTIN'S CREATIVE ENDEAVOURS DURING THE 1870S AND 1880S.