"Roses, Orange Blossom, and Other Flowers in a Blue Vase," Anna Vallayer-Coster, c. 1800.
Vallayer-Coster (1744-1818) was a French painter best known for her still lifes, which was not a popular genre of painting at the time...but she was, and is, noted as a very skilled artist in that school.
She achieved fame and recognition early on, at the age of 26, and her works (including portraits, florals, and scenes of everyday life as well as still lifes) were in demand by the aristocracy.
Her career was hurt by the French Revolution. A very private and hardworking woman, she was spared the anger and bloodshed, but the market for her work dried up. Reportedly she worked in a tapestry factory for a while, just to make a living, and was still painting up until a few years before her passing at 73.
Today, while not regarded as a genius,, she is admired for her ability to treat just about anything with a certain grandeur, and to make everything seem solid and permanent, even flowers.
Happy Flower Friday!
From a private collection.
#Art #AnnaVallayerCoster #FlowerFriday #WomenArtists #StillLIfe #Neoclassicism