Large Vase of Dahlias and Assorted Flowers 1875

Henri Fantin-Latour, a French painter, created this still life of dahlias and assorted flowers using oil on canvas. Fantin-Latour was working in France during a period of significant social and artistic change. While his contemporaries were delving into impressionism and exploring modern life, Fantin-Latour focused on still life and portraiture, genres traditionally favored by the Academy. One could argue that these beautiful paintings of flowers were, in fact, a direct response to the rapidly changing artistic landscape of France in the late 19th century. Although he exhibited at the Salon, he remained apart from the avant-garde. In Britain, his still-life paintings found a ready market amongst the middle classes. To understand Fantin-Latour, one must look at the institutional structures of the art world at the time, the market forces at play, and the cultural values that shaped his artistic choices. Examining exhibition records, art criticism, and social histories of the period can offer a more complete picture. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context.