Roses 1887

Henri Fantin-Latour painted this still life, titled Roses, using oil on canvas. He presents us with a bouquet of roses in a vase against a neutral background. Fantin-Latour was working in France during a period of significant social change, marked by the rise of industrialization and the growth of the middle class. Still life paintings such as this were popular among the bourgeoisie, and became signifiers of wealth and refinement. The artist’s style reflects a departure from the academic art of the time, with looser brushwork. We can find in it an embrace of naturalism, a movement which sought to depict the world as it is, without idealization. Fantin-Latour, though, was also associated with the Impressionists. By examining exhibition records, art criticism, and the writings of the artist, we can gain a deeper understanding of his engagement with the artistic and social currents of 19th-century France. It allows us to understand how his work both reflected and contributed to the changing values of his time.