Still Life with Fan and Roses

Thomas Hovenden, Still Life with Fan and Roses, 1874, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1979.149
Copied Thomas Hovenden, Still Life with Fan and Roses, 1874, oil on canvas, 9 3⁄8 x 11 1⁄8 in. (23.9 x 28.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1979.149
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Artwork Details

Title
Still Life with Fan and Roses
Artist
Date
1874
Location
Dimensions
9 3⁄8 x 11 1⁄8 in. (23.9 x 28.2 cm.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Still life — written matter — magazine
  • Still life — other — container
  • Still life — other — dish
  • Still life — flower — rose
  • Dress — accessory — fan
  • Still life — furniture — table
Object Number
1979.149
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1979.149

Artwork Description

Thomas Hovenden painted a few still lifes in addition to his better-known genre scenes. Here, a seemingly casual arrangement of objects masks the care that Hovenden took to create a balanced composition. The arc of blooms in the lower right echoes the details of the graceful Japanese fan that anchors the painting. Clear light, luminous shadows, and a mix of humble and exotic objects evoke the golden age of Dutch still-life painting, a tradition Hovenden likely knew from his Paris teachers and his hours spent in museums.