Bloemboeket in een glas c. 1851 - 1854

François Frédéric Grobon created this lithograph of a bouquet of flowers in a glass. Although undated, the piece reflects the 19th century’s increasing interest in the natural world. Flower painting, particularly during this period, was deeply intertwined with gender and class. As the traditional art world was dominated by men, flower painting and similar still life artworks were relegated as suitable for women. This perception raises questions about how gender influenced the artistic choices and reception of such works. During the 1800’s, the rise of the middle class saw flower painting becoming increasingly popular as decorative objects in domestic settings. The seemingly innocent subject matter carries implicit values about domesticity, taste and class aspirations. The flowers selected for the bouquet, each with its own symbolic meaning, contribute to a complex, unspoken language of sentiment and social identity. Grobon’s print invites us to consider the quiet yet persistent ways in which art reflects and shapes our understanding of gender, class and the natural world.