Still Life with Flowers (Wildflowers in a Brown Vase)

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Still Life with Flowers (Wildflowers in a Brown Vase)

c. 1860-1865

Martin Johnson Heade (American, 1819–1904)

A passionate observer of the natural world, Heade was best known for his marsh scenes and his exquisite studies of hummingbirds and orchids in their natural settings. He also painted about 150 floral still lifes in the course of his long career. Wildflowers in a Brown Vase is from his earliest floral series, in which bouquets of flowers are arranged in small, elegant vessels set on narrow marble tabletops against a plain background. In this painting, Heade depicts two of his favorite flowers, the rose and the purple heliotrope, carefully rendering them and their delicate vase in a quiet composition, the serenity of which seems to match that of his landscapes.

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Object Details

Title:

Still Life with Flowers (Wildflowers in a Brown Vase)

Date:

c. 1860-1865

Artist:

Martin Johnson Heade (American, 1819–1904)

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

18 1/4 x 14 5/16 inches (46.4 x 36.4 cm)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

Bequest of Lisa Norris Elkins, 1950

Accession Number:

1950-92-5

Geography:

Made in United States, North and Central America

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