Provenance

Prince Antoine Bibesco

Romanian, 1878 - 1951

Explore selected works

This painting shows a partial view of a dark wooden mantle. The mantle itself takes up the bottom right corner of the painting, and we see one side of it, but not the other. On its left corner, there is a vase of pink flowers, which stands at the center of the painting. Behind the vase, on top of the mantle, is a large silvery mirror in a golden frame. The mirror reflects gray walls and indistinct rectangles of black, gray, and brown. In the bottom left corner, there is a patterned brown and white object, perhaps furniture or draped fabric. The wall on the left of the mantle and the mirror is a cream color. In some areas of the painting, the reddish-brown material beneath the paint is visible.
Edouard Vuillard, Vase of Flowers on a Mantelpiece, c. 1900, oil on cardboard, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.99

Vase of Flowers on a Mantelpiece

Edouard Vuillard · c. 1900 · oil on cardboard ·  Accession ID  1970.17.99

This painting displays soft, rounded shapes and fragmented lines, creating an abstract portrayal of two people seated at a dark yellow table. The round table is in the center, while the two people are on the left, their faces and bodies suggested with small dots of tan and light brown paint. The rough, brown surface under the paint has been allowed to show through in many places. On the table, white circular shapes resemble a cup and saucer, as well as a plate and bowl. The right side of the table has a light brown cloth draped over it, decorated with bright splashes. Behind the table and the people is a greenish-blue wall with a white door in the upper right corner.
Edouard Vuillard, Two Women Drinking Coffee, c. 1893, oil on cardboard, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.94

Two Women Drinking Coffee

Edouard Vuillard · c. 1893 · oil on cardboard ·  Accession ID  1970.17.94

We look down onto nine pieces of fruit, a pitcher, a goblet, and a dish arranged on a rustic wood table in front of a floral curtain in this nearly square, loosely painted still life. The table extends off the left edge of the composition and the back, right corner of the table just touches the right edge of the canvas. At the center of the composition, five pieces of marigold-orange fruit with yellow highlights and scarlet-red shading are piled in the dish. The side of the dish to our right is slightly tipped up so the fruit settles near the rim to our left. The dish is painted with loose strokes of sky blue, shell pink, pale yellow, and parchment white. Three more pieces of fruit, including a lemon, sit to our left of the dish and one more piece of fruit sits near the back corner of the table, behind the dish, to our right. Immediately behind the dish is a stemmed glass with a tall, rounded bowl. To our left, between the fruit on the table and in the platter, is a tall, angular, tapering pitcher. The pitcher is painted with emerald and moss-green leaves against a background painted with strokes of light peach, blush pink, slate blue, and one wide stroke of amber orange. The wooden table is peanut brown streaked with strokes of apricot orange and pale sage green. One drawer at the front has a round, wooden pull. There seem to be at least two panels of curtains hanging behind the table. Down the center of the background is a panel of coral peach and saffron orange with a floral pattern painted in wheat brown and denim blue. To our right, the panel is streaked with vertical strokes of teal, midnight, and navy blue. The area to our left, behind the table, could be the panel of a door, painted with pale turquoise. The fruit, dish, vessels, table, curtain, and door are all outlined with cobalt blue.
Paul Cezanne, Still Life with Milk Jug and Fruit, c. 1900, oil on canvas, Gift of the W. Averell Harriman Foundation in memory of Marie N. Harriman, 1972.9.5

Still Life with Milk Jug and Fruit

Paul Cezanne · c. 1900 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1972.9.5

Bibliography

1986

  • Wilson-Bareau, Juliet. "Edouard Vuillard et les princes Bibesco." Revue de l'Art 74 (1986):37+