A Flower 

Theodore Roussel made this print called "A Flower", but its wispy lines don't immediately reveal what kind of flower is being depicted. Roussel, a contemporary of Whistler, was part of the Aesthetic movement, which emphasized beauty and “art for art’s sake” in opposition to the industrialism of Victorian England. This pursuit of beauty often meant a renewed interest in depicting women and nature. What does it mean for Roussel to call this print "A Flower"? Is it about idealizing a concept of beauty? Or perhaps it is a kind of intimate portrait? Indeed, on closer looking, the flower turns into the intimate contours of a woman's head, and the petals the tender gesture of her cradling hands. The woman is central, not only as an object of beauty, but as an individual capable of depth. Roussel asks us to consider how an image can both embody and transcend the societal expectations of its time. In doing so, he captures a quiet, introspective moment of the feminine experience.