Still Life of White Roses 1870

Henri Fantin-Latour made this painting of white roses using oil on canvas. Although paint and canvas are traditional materials, the artist uses them in an interesting way. You can see brushstrokes, and how the material of the paint builds up a surface; you can appreciate the artist's labour of depicting the delicate petals. In the artist's method, the roses become solid, almost like sculptures. Fantin-Latour also painted portraits, and there’s a related way of working in his still life. His artistic approach is characterized by close observation of his subjects, and careful rendering of color and light. There is a commitment to truth, and the amount of labour required for painting the still life is no less than for a history painting. Thinking about the materials and the making helps us understand Fantin-Latour's ambition to elevate painting, challenging traditional distinctions between genres.