Roses In A Vase 1878

Henri Fantin-Latour painted this still life of roses in a vase, using oil on canvas, during the latter half of the 19th century in France. Fantin-Latour, though associated with the Impressionists, maintained a distinctive style rooted in realism. Yet this wasn't just about accurately depicting the visible world. Instead, the focus was on the social structures that gave rise to certain aesthetic preferences. Think of the rise of the bourgeoisie, whose increasing wealth and power shaped the art market and fueled demand for still life paintings like this. These paintings decorated their homes and signaled their refined taste. Here, Fantin-Latour's image doesn't critique the institutions of art outright, but it quietly reflects on the changing social landscape of his time. To understand the work of Fantin-Latour better, we can turn to exhibition reviews and records, market data, and biographies. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.