Still Life with Vase of Hawthorn, Bowl of Cherries, Japanese Bowl, and Cup and Saucer by Henri Fantin-Latour (1872)

Resolution: 3595 × 3866 px

A tall spray of hawthorn rises from a rounded glass vase, its dark green leaves and small pink-red blossom clusters forming an irregular vertical silhouette against the muted gray-brown background. Below, cherries and a yellow-red fruit fill a cut-glass bowl, while two loose cherries extend across the pale tabletop. A large blue-and-white Japanese bowl and a delicate cup with saucer complete the arrangement on the right.

Fantin-Latour balances the dense foliage with carefully spaced vessels and repeated circular forms. The vase, fruit bowl, Japanese ceramic, cup, saucer, and cherries create a measured rhythm across the lower half, while the branching hawthorn carries the eye upward. Deep greens and reds are held against restrained gray, cream, and blue tones; reflective glass, glossy fruit, porcelain, leaves, and clustered blossoms are distinguished through controlled changes in texture and light.

Painted in 1872, this composition shows Fantin-Latour expanding the floral still life into a deliberate study of contrasting objects and surfaces. The Japanese bowl introduces the cross-cultural decorative interest that shaped European art in the later nineteenth century, while the sober setting and concentrated observation retain the discipline of traditional still-life painting. This high-resolution botanical still life is suited to close study, art reference, and refined digital display.