Description

This canvas, exhibited at the Salon of 1873, relates to Henri Fantin-Latour’s largest and most famous painting of the decade, The Corner of a Table (1872; Musée d’Orsay, Paris), an immense composition that includes detailed portraits of several young Parisian poets and writers. The table around which they are posed displays many of the still-life elements featured in this work. The delicate rhododendron plant reflects the influence of Japanese prints, from its dramatic silhouette against the neutral backdrop of the white tablecloth to its unusual placement in the foreground, emphasizing the scene’s unorthodox cropping.

Provenance

Elizabeth Ruth Edwards (c. 1833-1907), Fantin-Latour’s art agent, London. Gustave Tempelaere (died 1904), Paris in 1901 [Tempelaere inventory no. 4679; see letter from Sylvie Brame to Gloria Groom, dated April 10, 2002, in curatorial file]. Antonio Mancini (died 1930), Rome by 1906 until at least 1924 [acc. to Bénédite1906 and Gibson 1924]. Possibly E. Lernoud, Paris [acc. to Ottawa 1983; mentioned in Paris 1955 as the owner preceding Mancini, but this cannot be confirmed]. Mme. Vincent Daniel, Rennes by 1936 [acc. to letter from Philippe Brame to Gloria Groom, dated April 30, 2001, in curatorial file; in Grenoble 1936 she is incorrectly listed as Madame Vincent Danielo, Vannes; in Ottawa 1983, she is incorrectly located in Vennes]; sold to Hector Brame, Paris in 1951 [acc. to letter from Philippe Brame citied above]; Hector Brame and César de Hauke, Paris; sold to the Art Institute in September 1951.