Roses 

Henri Fantin-Latour made this oil painting of roses with brushes and paint on canvas. These are traditional art materials that have been used by painters for centuries, but Fantin-Latour uses them in a way that highlights the materiality of paint itself. The thick brushstrokes give the roses a sculptural quality, as if they are made of pigment, considering their substance, texture, weight, color and form. Fantin-Latour's technique gives the flowers a sense of immediacy and freshness. He captures the fleeting beauty of the roses, but also the weight and presence of the paint itself. In doing so, he blurs the lines between representation and abstraction, inviting us to appreciate the artwork as both a depiction of nature and an object in its own right. This focus on materials, making, and context is important in understanding the full meaning of the work. It also challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.