Roses and Japanese Fan

ca. 1885
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 813
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
By downplaying indicators of depth, Khnopff transformed the shelf that supports the vase into an abstract stripe of blue against a crimson background. The Japanese fan and the pale pink, cream, and blue colors indicate the artist's admiration for the innovative style of James McNeill Whistler (1834–1903). Whistler’s work was well-known among the artistic vanguard in Belgium, having been shown with the radical exhibition society Les XX in Brussels, which Khnopff helped found.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Roses and Japanese Fan
  • Artist: Fernand Khnopff (Belgian, Grembergen 1858–1921 Brussels)
  • Date: ca. 1885
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 19 3/4 × 10 in. (50 × 25.5 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Lent by the Hearn Family Trust
  • Object Number: L.2015.50
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings