Painted in 1878, Fleurs dans un pot (Roses et brouillard) is a wonderful early example of Monet’s painting, exemplifying his skill in applying Impressionistic technique to a still-life subject. For this composition Monet chose a striking arrangement of pale pink roses and clouds of fluffy white gypsophila. This latter is a particularly interesting choice–in French the flower shares its name with the foggy weather conditions that Monet so loved to paint along the Seine–and in the present work Monet applies a similarly innovative approach to capture the effect of the white flowers emerging from a darker background. As Richard Thomson wrote of these works: "Monet painted such canvases with a flourish, confident in his ability to animate any still-life motif with the vivacity of his brushwork, unity of his light and coherence of his chromatics, and without excessive commitment to surface exactitude" (R. Thomson, Monet. The Seine and The Sea 1878-1883 (exhibition catalogue), National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, 2003, p. 76).

Fleurs dans un pot (Roses et brouillard) is one of only four still-lifes that Monet painted when he returned to the subject in 1878, with others including Bouquet de glaïeuls, lis et marguerites (see fig. 1) and the Chrysanthèmes now in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris (see fig. 2). In the summer of that year he had moved to Vétheuil, and he would remain there until the end of 1881. He was surrounded by verdant countryside and a richly planted garden that would quickly become a source of inspiration, as well as offering an array of blooms for the still-life arrangements that occupied him on rainy days. When the Seventh Impressionist exhibition opened in March 1882, Monet contributed, among other canvases, several still lifes that he had painted during his years at Vétheuil. As Debra N. Mancoff observed: "Six floral still lifes were included in Monet’s submissions to the Seventh Impressionist exhibition. He had painted bouquets of flower on occasion throughout his career and now, in a time of financial crisis, his own garden offered an alternative to expensive travel searching for subjects to paint. Critics praised these works" (Debra N. Mancoff, Monet: Nature into Art, Lincolnwood, 2003, p. 51).

It was not just the critics, but also the art dealers who recognized the artistic, as well as the commercial potential of Monet’s still lifes. Like Renoir, in the 1870s Monet increasingly relied upon the appeal of his floral compositions to remedy his financial difficulties; their delicate charm was appealing to a wider audience, and their commercial success eventually won Monet the financial backing of the Impressionist dealer Georges Petit, who helped to usher the artist into the limelight of the Parisian art market. As Richard Thomson and Michael Clarke discuss: "The still-life paintings Monet made in the 1878-1883 period served various purposes, providing a break from landscape work and offering an alternative activity in poor weather. But above all they were commercially expedient, at a time when the artist and his family were in pressing need of funds" (R. Thomson & M. Clarke, Monet. The Seine and the Sea 1878-1883 (exhibition catalogue), National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, 2003, p. 76).

Yet, whilst economic circumstances may have been an element in Monet’s decision to paint still-lifes, it is clear from the deft brushwork and subtle gradations of light and color that define these compositions, that Monet was also using them as a means of exploring and developing his technique. Monet took this most traditional of painting genres and imbued it with the energy of his age; no longer "still" lifes in the literal sense, these paintings breathe life and vitality. Compared with the studied artificiality of a Bosschaert or the quiet solemnity of a Chardin (see figs. 3 & 4), Monet’s works radiate light and achieve the same transitory sense that is found in his landscapes. Stephan Koja describes Monet’s “unconventional and unpretentious approach to his subjects,” writing: “There is nothing artificial about his arrangements, nor are they welded to a spatial context…Once again, he relied entirely on the effect of colour, endeavouring to apply the stylistic vocabulary he had evolved in his landscape paintings, with its typical short brush-strokes” (S. Koja in Monet (exhibition catalogue), Belvedere, Vienna, 1996, p. 92).

In the present work, the background is loosely painted, creating an indefinite space with the silver dish of flowers sitting on a surface that moves forwards out through the picture plane towards the viewer. The striped verticals of this surface–a tablecloth perhaps–serve to emphasize the voluptuous roundness of the roses, the undulations of the tarnished silver and the softness of the fallen petals. Monet’s treatment of the genre would have an important impact on subsequent generations of artists, as Robert Gordon and Andrew Forge have discussed.

"It is particularly in Monet’s still lifes that we recognize what it was that van Gogh learned from him [see fig. 5]: not simply the powerful and expressive palette but also a quality of impassioned drawing that is much more apparent in the flower paintings–forms painted at the range of stereoscopic vision, therefore more tactile–than in most of his landscapes. In these sumptuous flower paintings done only when the weather prevented outdoor work, the drawing and color are carried along together with tremendous impetus. His love for flowers is unmistakable. The character, the quality of growth, the specific rhythm of each bouquet is given its due" (R. Gordon & A. Forge, Monet, New York, 1983, p. 215).

One of the earlier owners of this work was James F. Sutton, founder of America’s first auction house, the American Art Association. The work was sold following his death and was subsequently acquired by Ogden Phipps. Phipps was a legendary racehorse owner and breeder as well as being a successful businessman. Over his lifetime he amassed a significant collection of paintings and furniture including the present work, which he owned for over half a century. Currently held in a private collection, Fleurs dans un pot (Roses et brouillard) comes to the market for the first time in nearly two decades.