Artwork
Hollyhocks in a Copper Bowl
Hollyhocks in a Copper Bowl is an oil painting by the Realist artist Gustave Courbet. It dates from 1872 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
About this work
Overview
Gustave Courbet’s 1872 oil painting *Hollyhocks in a Copper Bowl* presents a modest still‑life composition. A cluster of white and red hollyhocks rests loosely within a polished copper vessel, set against a deep, almost black background that isolates the flowers and highlights their natural coloration and form.
Subject & Meaning
The work focuses on ordinary garden flowers, arranged without formal symmetry, emphasizing their everyday presence. By choosing a simple bouquet as his subject, Courbet underscores his realist aim to portray the observable world directly, avoiding allegorical or idealized treatment in favor of plain, unembellished representation.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the painting displays Courbet’s characteristic handling of light and texture. The copper bowl is rendered with warm metallic tones that catch subtle reflections, while the petals are painted with layered brushwork that conveys delicate surface detail and the varying translucency of the blossoms.
History & Provenance
Created toward the end of Courbet’s career, the piece entered the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where it remains on view. Its acquisition reflects the institution’s commitment to representing 19th‑century French realism and Courbet’s pivotal role within that movement.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet (UK: KOOR-bay; US: koor-BAY; French: ; 10 June 1819 – 31 December 1877) was a French painter who led the Realism movement in 19th-century French painting.
