A Basket of Roses
Artist: Ignace-Henri-Théodore Fantin-Latour (French, 1836 - 1904)
Original Dimensions: 19 1/4" x 23 3/4"
Location: National Gallery of Art, London
About Artwork: (1890) "It seems as if these roses have been tossed almost carelessly into the wicker basket – they tumble over the edge and onto the table – but the disarray is artful. The subtle colours – pure white, cream, pale apricot and pink – have been carefully balanced to establish harmony and the heads of the blooms turned in different directions to catch the clear, bright light and show the unique qualities of each flower. The leaves are glossy and the petals have a multitude of textures, but these roses seem to have little to do with the natural world outside. They appear too pristine and untouched, and although the bare, mottled background brings out their colours, it isolates them as though in an empty room. But it is this very isolation that made the picture ideal for a heavily ornamented, bourgeois Victorian drawing room – a moment to breathe amongst the expensive clutter." - (National Gallery of Art, London)

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