Flowers Roses 1883

Henri Fantin-Latour painted these roses at some point during his career in France, probably in the second half of the 19th century. The artist is best known for his still lifes of flowers, and this canvas is characteristic of his work. It may be tempting to see the image of the roses as simply celebrating the beauty of nature, but we must consider the social context in which the picture was made. At the time, the French art world was dominated by the official Salon system. Artists who wanted to succeed had to exhibit their work at the Salon, but the jurors often rejected paintings that didn't conform to academic standards. Fantin-Latour was associated with a group of artists who challenged the Salon system and sought to create new venues for exhibiting and selling their work. By focusing on humble subjects, he and his contemporaries were rejecting the traditional hierarchies of academic art. In other words, they were forging a new path for themselves as artists. It is through looking at exhibition reviews, letters, and other archival sources that we can better understand the complex social and institutional forces that shaped this image.