Peonies

Peonies is an oil on canvas painted by Berthe Morisot in 1869. This striking still life exemplifies the radical shifts occurring in French painting during the pivotal period of 1851 to 1875. Morisot, an essential figure in the emerging Impressionist movement, utilized a fluid technique appropriate for capturing the ephemeral beauty of the blooms, showing her transition away from traditional academic techniques toward a more immediate, expressive style.

The canvas features a vibrant arrangement of white and pink peonies, rendered with the quick, broken brushstrokes that characterize Morisot’s early Impressionist style. Her application of paint is remarkably light and spontaneous, signaling her interest not merely in botanical accuracy, but in the way light interacts dynamically with the texture of the petals and foliage. The composition deliberately avoids the highly polished finish of the traditional Salon, prioritizing instead the spontaneity of observation and the direct use of color. This piece signals Morisot’s early commitment to capturing intimate, domestic subjects, setting her apart from male colleagues who focused more frequently on public life and grand historical themes.

As a leading female figure among the Impressionists, Morisot frequently explored modern life, domestic interiors, and intimate still lifes like Peonies, blending figure studies with objective arrangements. Her early dedication to this avant-garde style makes the work an important touchstone for understanding late 19th-century French art history. Today, this significant oil on canvas is part of the esteemed permanent collection at the National Gallery of Art, offering scholars and the public an opportunity to study the artist’s foundational work. Given the age and historical importance of the work, high-quality reproductions and prints are widely available through sources confirming its status as artwork that has entered the public domain.