Flowers in a Crystal Vase
c. 1882
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 32.7 x 24.5 cm (12 7/8 x 9 5/8 in.) framed: 52.7 x 44.8 x 8.3 cm (20 3/4 x 17 5/8 x 3 1/4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CF
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection
Accession Number
1970.17.37
Art Historical Context
Edouard Manet's *Flowers in a Crystal Vase* (c. 1882) is a delicate oil-on-canvas still life, measuring just 32.7 x 24.5 cm, inviting intimate contemplation. Painted late in the artist's career, it captures a bouquet arranged in a shimmering crystal vase, rendered with Manet's signature loose brushwork and vibrant color contrasts. This small-scale work, now in the National Gallery of Art's Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, exemplifies the French master's ability to elevate everyday subjects into modern poetry. Manet, a pivotal figure bridging Realism and Impressionism, turned increasingly to flo...
About the Artist
Edouard Manet · 1832–1883
Édouard Manet (1832-1883) was a French painter who played a pivotal role in the transition from Realism to Impressionism, often called the 'Father of Modern Art.' Born into a wealthy Parisian family, Manet defied his father's wishes for a legal career to pursue painting, studying under academic artist Thomas Couture. His revolutionary works 'Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe' and 'Olympia' (both 1863) scand...