Vase of Roses c. 1890 - 1900

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, working in France, painted this “Vase of Roses” with oil on canvas. It’s easy to see this artwork as merely an aesthetic exercise, a still life of flowers. But the Impressionists like Renoir were part of a changing art world, one that broke from the official Salon system. Instead of grand historical paintings, they focused on scenes of modern life and landscapes. What was deemed worthy of representation was changing. Still life, like landscape painting, was considered a lower genre, but offered artists freedom to experiment outside of the structures of the academy. With looser brushwork and a lighter palette, Renoir captures the fleeting beauty of nature. To understand Renoir better, we can look at exhibition histories, critical reviews from the time, and letters between artists and their dealers. These resources show how art reflects the values and social structures of its time, while also challenging the established art institutions.