Vase of Tulips 1885

Here we see Claude Monet's “Vase of Tulips.” Monet, working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was deeply embedded in a society undergoing rapid industrialization and shifting social norms. As the Impressionist movement sought to capture fleeting moments and subjective experiences, still life allowed artists like Monet to explore themes of domesticity and the everyday. Flowers have long held symbolic weight, often associated with femininity and the decorative arts, historically a realm accessible to women artists. However, Monet, along with his male Impressionist peers, reclaimed these subjects, imbuing them with a new sense of artistic legitimacy. This painting invites us to consider the intersections of gender, class, and artistic expression in a rapidly changing world. With its fluid brushwork and vibrant colors, the artwork gently prompts us to question traditional hierarchies within the art world.