Autumn Flowers 1861

Henri Fantin-Latour painted *Autumn Flowers* in 1862 using oil on canvas. The arrangement of various blooms, predominantly white and pastel, emerges from a dark, almost impenetrable background. The composition is structured around a central cluster, with the surrounding darkness intensifying the flowers' delicate hues and soft textures. Fantin-Latour’s approach to still life reveals an interest in the play of light and shadow, using chiaroscuro to create depth and volume. The artist's choice of autumnal flowers may symbolize themes of transience and beauty. The arrangement is not rigidly formal but rather possesses a naturalistic, almost casual quality. This challenges traditional academic conventions that valued idealized forms and polished surfaces. The dark background serves not merely as a backdrop but as an active element, emphasizing the ephemeral nature of the flowers and their inevitable fading. The artist invites us to reflect on the relationships between visibility and invisibility, presence and absence, and the ways in which these dualities shape our perception of beauty.