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When I was a very little child, I used to love flowers. That’s right – their inherent beauty was not lost on me. I used to sing to them and sometimes even try to capture their essence with my usually neglected crayons. I wasn’t very good at this, I envy Fantin-Latour his talent. York Art Gallery has recently replaced its contemporary sculpture exhibition with a selection from Fantin-Latour’s vast works. As you enter the gallery, the beautiful, oversized oriental flower arrangement at the centre of the room is both striking, and more welcoming perhaps than the reflective shed it’s replaced. I was off to a good start when the first painting I noticed was easily my favourite: White Roses from 1875. It immediately shows off the artist’s delicacy of style and unbelievable mastery with shades of white, a skill that reaches its zenith in White Lilies, a later piece in which the flowers sparkle and shine out from their dull background. We had to pause in front of this one for a while, the sparkle was a bit too mesmerising.
On the right hand wall of the exhibition, there is a small selection of other pieces from Fantin-Latour; The Crucifixion (1854) and Madame Leon Maitre (1884) in particular contrast with the rest of his floral works. I was surprised by how much I dislike them. The former was a minimal composition with blurry, impressionist figures in front of a traditional sky, and the latter a portrait that Fantin-Latour hurried to finish, with the Madame unfocused but beautiful detail in the flower, bracelet and drape that surround her. It made me glad that Fantin-Latour was compelled to stick mostly with the still life over other compositional styles.
if you fancy yourself a little Fantin-Latour, there are pretty areas where you can try your hand at sketching some flowers on display. It’s focused on children of course but why not show the kids how it’s done?
The gallery has also managed to get its hands on some works by Fantin-Latour’s contemporaries, including George Frederick Watts and Walter Greaves, and if you fancy yourself a little Fantin-Latour, there are pretty areas where you can try your hand at sketching some flowers on display. It’s focused on children of course but why not show the kids how it’s done? This exhibition has certainly re-kindled my flower-loving flame, I’m collecting my felt tips together and moving towards my little student garden as we speak.
Painting the Summer: Henri Fantin-Latour is in York Art Gallery’s main gallery until 23 September 2007 and is free of charge (York Art Gallery, Exhibition Square, York YO1 7EW, Tel: 01904 687687)
