John La Farge

The Jordan-Volpe Gallery, Inc., New York

Acquired from the above in June 1995 by the present owner

New York, Moore's Art Gallery, A Collection of Oil and Water Color Paintings, by John La Farge, March 26-27, 1885, no. 26

New York, The Jordan-Volpe Gallery, Inc., Nature Vivante: The Still Lifes of John La Farge, 1995, no. 58, p. 136, illustrated

In Study of Autumn Flowers, in Yellow Crackle Glass Pitcher, on Table Covered with Blue Leather, American artist John La Farge depicts a compact bouquet of cosmos arranged in a glass pitcher, their stems visible through the pale yellow crackle glass that softly refracts the surrounding light. A master of many mediums, including watercolor, mural painting, stained glass, and illustration, La Farge was particularly admired for his floral compositions, in which technical precision met poetic sensitivity. In the present work, painted circa 1884–1885, La Farge employs a dry watercolor technique that approaches the texture of pastel, a medium he was increasingly exploring during this period. The result is an intimate and exquisitely balanced study that captures both the fragility and radiance of its subject. As one contemporary critic observed, La Farge’s flowers seem “burning with love and beauty,” a sentiment that aptly conveys the artist’s ability to transform a simple still life into a meditation on color, light, and transience.