Roses in a Glass Vase 

Henri Fantin-Latour painted this work, Roses in a Glass Vase, with oil on canvas. The artist has used very traditional materials, setting him in line with the academic painting of his time. Look closely, and you will notice the artist has focused on accurately describing the roses. He must have looked intently at his subject to capture the diversity of these blossoms, and the overall composition is classic and simple. However, Fantin-Latour was doing something quietly radical here. While the art world was caught up in historical paintings, he was focusing on the everyday. The artist has emphasized the labor and skill involved in painting and is using these artistic skills to ennoble still life subjects. This approach challenges the accepted hierarchy of artistic genres. This simple painting encourages us to think differently about what we consider to be art.