The Trellis, 1862
Gustave Courbet
French, 1817-1877
Oil on canvas
Detroit Institute of Arts
Summer flowers are the heart of this painting. Full-blown, they surge across the surface, engulfing the young woman whose dress is even printed with miniature flowers.
Gustave Courbet, famous at the time for his confrontational images of peasant life and dramatic landscapes, led a personal campaign to reform art. He declared that artists must represent, not imitate the past.
This painting of a woman arranging cut flowers on an outdoor trellis reflects Courbet's Realist manifesto: it presents the young woman not as a classical nymph or allegorical figure, but as a pretty model in contemporary dress. It also elevated flower painting, (traditionally considered low in the hierarchy of artistic genres) to a grand scale, the blooms dominating the composition.
The Trellis, 1862
Gustave Courbet
French, 1817-1877
Oil on canvas
Detroit Institute of Arts
Summer flowers are the heart of this painting. Full-blown, they surge across the surface, engulfing the young woman whose dress is even printed with miniature flowers.
Gustave Courbet, famous at the time for his confrontational images of peasant life and dramatic landscapes, led a personal campaign to reform art. He declared that artists must represent, not imitate the past.
This painting of a woman arranging cut flowers on an outdoor trellis reflects Courbet's Realist manifesto: it presents the young woman not as a classical nymph or allegorical figure, but as a pretty model in contemporary dress. It also elevated flower painting, (traditionally considered low in the hierarchy of artistic genres) to a grand scale, the blooms dominating the composition.