Wild Roses and Irises
1887
Medium
Gouache and watercolor on white wove paper
Dimensions
14 1/2 x 10 7/16 in. (36.8 x 26.5 cm)
Classification
Watercolor
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Priscilla A. B. Henderson, in memory of her grandfather, Russell Sturgis, a founder of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1950
Accession Number
50.113.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
John La Farge's *Wild Roses and Irises (1887) is a delicate floral study that captures the ephemeral beauty of nature through masterful watercolor and gouache on white wove paper. 14½ × 10⁷/₁₆ inches, this intimate work exemplifies La Farge's innovative approach to American art during the late 19th century. As a pioneering figure in the Aesthetic Movement, he drew inspiration from Japanese prints and Impressionist light effects, blending translucent watercolor washes with the opacity of gouache to achieve luminous depth and vibrant color harmony. Created at a time when American artists were p...
About the Artist
John La Farge · 1835–1910
John La Farge (1835–1910) was born into a wealthy French émigré family in New York City, the son of John Frederick La Farge and Louisa Binsse de Saint-Victor. Educated at Jesuit institutions including Mount St. Mary's College in Maryland and St. John's College (now Fordham University), he initially pursued law but turned to art after receiving early drawing lessons from his maternal grandfather, a...