The Bouquet of Violets
| Support Type: | Paper |
| Paint Type: | Pastel |
| Current Location: | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
| Location History: | After the artist’s death, the painting passed to her widower, Henri Guerard, who owned it in Paris until he died in 1897. It then went to Jeanne Guerard-Gonzales, who was both the artist’s sister and Henri Guerard’s second wife, starting in 1897. From her, it passed to the artist’s son, Jean-Raymond Guerard, who owned it in Paris from at least 1924 into the late 1960s. Later, the London dealer David Carritt Limited had it until 1979, selling it under the title “Jeanne with a Bouquet of Violets” to the Paul Rosenberg gallery in New York. Rosenberg held onto it until 1983, when it was sold to the dealers Noortman & Brod, who then sold it that same year to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman. After Charles Wrightsman died in 1986, his wife kept the piece until her own death in 2019, at which point it entered the Met’s collection through her bequest. |
Painted in the nineteenth century, “The Bouquet of Violets” is the wonderful creation of Eva Gonzales. Associated with the Impressionist group, Gonzales particularly rose to prominence for painting portraits and daily scenes from bourgeois life. In particular, she often painted middle-class women going about their domestic routines, the kind of secluded and sheltered life many women of her class were confined to in the nineteenth century. Perhaps, these portrayals mirrored Gonzales' own life. As a woman trying to build a career as an artist at the time, she faced real limits. These limits may well have shaped which subjects she gravitated toward in the first place. The true turning point in her life came when she became the only student to be guided by avant-garde painter, Edouard Manet. Manet’s artistic guidance was particularly influential in shaping Gonzales’ artistic output. However, her artwork developed a sense of charm and personal expression that can be associated only with her. Many of Gonzales’ artworks featured her own younger sister, Jeanne, who also happened to be a talented painter. The female figure depicted in the “The Bouquet of Violets” is also considered to be Gonzales’ sister, Jeanne. This painting can be interpreted as a way for Gonzales to demonstrate the domestic life that women were often subjected to. As far as the techniques are concerned, Gonzales’ quick, yet graceful brushwork and the use of pastels is commendable. Her use of pastels in this painting is considered similar to that of Edouard Manet in the late 1870s. A particularly captivating aspect of this painting is the illustration of the pink gown whose satiny, sleek appearance makes it look as though it has a life of its own. Furthermore, the pearly gray backdrop creates a perfect neutral setting, allowing both the rich texture of the gown and the fragrance of the violets to come alive for the viewer. Overall, the domestic atmosphere feels quiet and personal.
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