Bouquet of Peonies in a Blue Vase by Maurice de Vlaminck

Maurice de Vlaminck
1876-1958 | French

Bouquet de pivoines dans un vase bleu
(Bouquet of Peonies in a Blue Vase)

Signed “Vlaminck” (lower right)
Oil on canvas

A vibrant celebration of color and form, Bouquet de pivoines dans un vase bleu is a quintessential floral still life by Maurice de Vlaminck, one of the founders of Fauvism. A lush bouquet of red and pink peonies bursts from a deep blue vase, rendered with the artist’s characteristically bold brushwork and expressive use of color. Strong contrasts of light and shadow animate the composition, with the graceful folds of the drapery creating a rich backdrop for the vivid bouquet. The result is a striking still life that captures the energy and emotional intensity at the heart of Vlaminck's art.

Vlaminck stands alongside Henri Matisse and André Derain as one of the three principal architects of the Fauve movement, the first major avant-garde development of the twentieth century. Largely self-taught, Vlaminck was transformed by Van Gogh after encountering the Dutch master's work at the Galerie Bernheim-Jeune in 1901. His influence is felt in this exceptional still life by Vlaminck, where the striking colors and bold brushwork capture the emotion and energy at the heart of the avant-garde art movements of the early 20th century.

Born in Paris to a family of musicians, Vlaminck originally felt his career path would naturally lead to music, or even towards his talent as a bicyclist. The turning point in his life came in 1900, when a chance encounter with the artist André Derain on a derailed train led to an enduring friendship. Together, the two established a studio, forming what would become known as the École de Chatou. In 1905, Henri Matisse visited Vlaminck's studio and was struck by the ferocity of his canvases, encouraging Vlaminck to exhibit alongside him, Derain and others at the Salon des Indépendants and the historic Salon d'Automne of 1905. Vlaminck's works soon caught the eye of the influential dealer Ambroise Vollard, who purchased the entire contents of his studio in 1906 and mounted the artist's first solo exhibition the following year.

Vlaminck served in the French reserves during World War I, a period that interrupted but did not diminish his creative ambitions. After the war, an exhibition at Galerie Druet in 1919 catapulted him to broader recognition, establishing his works among the most sought-after of the era. Now his works can be found in important collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Dallas Museum of Art, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and many others.

Circa 1913-14

This work has been authenticated by the Archives Vlaminck and will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Maurice de Vlaminck’s work.

Canvas: 25” high x 20 1/2” wide (63.5 x 52.1 cm)
Frame: 34 3/4” high x 30” wide x 1 3/4” deep (88.3 x 76.2 x 4.5 cm)

Provenance:
Galerie Choiseul, Paris
Private collection, France
Private collection, Europe

Literature:
Maithe Valles-Bled, Maurice de Vlaminck: Regards sur L'oeuvre et sur l'artiste. 1907-1958, Seoul Arts Centre Hangaram Design Museum, Seoul 2017, p.35-36, illustrated p. 35, plate 14
Maithe Valles-Blend, Vlaminck: Regards sur l'oeuvre et sur l'artiste, 1907-1958, Hiroshima Museum of Art, Hiroshima 2017, illustrated p. 28

Exhibited:
South Korea, Seoul Arts centre, Vlaminck, 4th June – 21st August 2017; travelled to Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, Kofu, Japan, 2nd September – 22nd October; Hiroshima Museum of Art, Hiroshima, Japan, 3rd November – 24th December 2017; Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art, Kitakyushu, Japan, 2nd January – 24th February 2018; Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art, Kumamoto, Japan, 12th April – 10th June 2018; Shizuoka City Museum of Art, Shizuoka, Japan, 28th July - 24th September 2018