Roses with a Glass Goblet and a Cast of Giovanni Bologna's "Venus after the Bath"

1884
Not on view
In the 1880s, Weir began experimenting in watercolor, a medium he had practiced since his childhood. After seeing the still-life paintings by Jean Siméon Chardin and Éduoard Manet in Paris in the 1870s, Weir was inspired to experiment with the genre. In these works, he often embraced a dark palette employed by the Old Masters, as opposed to the lighter colors favored by the Impressionists, whose works he initially disdained. In this still life, Weir displays his technical skills in the careful rendering of diverse surfaces—from the transparent crystal goblet to the dense and semi-reflective tankard. The flowers are boldly rendered as they wilt and lose their petals, suggesting a theme of transience. At right, a bronze figurine of Venus by the Italian Mannerist sculptor Giambologna (1529–1608) reveals Weir’s appreciation for art-historical traditions.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Roses with a Glass Goblet and a Cast of Giovanni Bologna's "Venus after the Bath"
  • Artist: Julian Alden Weir (American, West Point, New York 1852–1919 New York)
  • Date: 1884
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Pencil, watercolor, and gouache on paper
  • Dimensions: 17 7/16 x 12 1/8 in. (44.3 x 30.8 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Erving and Joyce Wolf, in memory of Diane R. Wolf, 1978
  • Object Number: 1978.21
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.