Roses in a Vase
The palette Renoir used to depict the seven roses in this still life ranges from various shades of red to warm whites, light yellows, and pinks. The artist declared, "'Painting flowers lets my brain rest. It does not cause the same tension of spirit as when I face a model. When I paint flowers, I put down tones, I boldly try values, without having to worry about losing a canvas.'" He was particularly fond of roses, whose full, rounded shapes he likened to the female body. In 1861, Renoir met Claude Monet (1840–1926) and later shared a studio with him. Monet became an important influence on Renoir's art, as can be seen here in the rapid brush strokes, thinly scuffled background, and buildup of paint (impasto) in the blooms.
Colors in this work
Details
- Date
- c. 1890
- Medium
- oil on fabric
- Dimensions
- unframed: height 0.255 m, width 0.34 m
- Origin
- France, 19th century
- Department
- Modern European Painting and Sculpture
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Palette
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- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Gift of Mrs. Henry White Cannon
Art Genome Taxonomy
11 tags
Subject Matter
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Still Life Both · 99%
The image presents an arranged bouquet in a vase, and the Cleveland Museum of Art identifies the work as a still life titled Roses in a Vase.
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Flora Both · 99%
Rose blossoms, leaves, and stems are directly visible; the catalog specifically describes seven roses.
Visual Qualities
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Dark Colors Visual · 96%
Olive, brown, deep green, and dark red tones dominate the composition, contrasted by pale flower highlights.
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Dense Composition Visual · 95%
The bouquet and vase occupy most of the picture field, with overlapping flowers and foliage forming a concentrated arrangement.
Medium and Techniques
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Painting Both · 99%
The image is visibly a painted work, and the catalog classifies it as Painting.
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Oil Painting Metadata · 99%
The catalog identifies the medium as oil on fabric.
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Impasto Both · 97%
The catalog explicitly notes rapid brushstrokes and impasto in the blooms; the image shows thick, layered strokes and built-up highlights, especially in the flowers.
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Gestural Both · 91%
The surface is handled with short, energetic, directional strokes across the flowers, leaves, vase, and background; the catalog describes Renoir’s rapid brushstrokes.
Time Periods
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19th Century Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog dates the work to circa 1890, within the nineteenth century.
Geographic Regions
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French Art Metadata · 98%
The catalog identifies Renoir as French and gives the place of origin as France, 19th century.
Tableware, Vessels, and Objects
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Vase Visual · 99%
A rounded green vase is clearly visible beneath the bouquet.
Source & rights
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (French, 1841–1919). Roses in a Vase. Cleveland Museum of Art.
High-resolution sources
- Original TIFF ↗ 14,577 × 10,586 · Cleveland Museum Of Art · Available