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Roses and Jasmine in a Delft Vase
Renoir, Pierre-Auguste.
Oil on canvas. 81.5x65 cm
France. Circa 1880/1881
Source of Entry: formerly in the collection of Otto Krebs, Holzdorf.
Transferred from Germany after World War II

In the work of Renoir, acknowledged as a master of figural compositions, still life always played a secondary role, though at times a very important one. If in the early still lifes realistic moods are strong and the influence of Gustave Courbet is felt, in the 1870s and 1880s Renoir strove for a more decorative quality, using beautiful objects of everyday life. Expensive pottery or porcelain vases take the place of simple rustic flowerpots filled with earth. In the present painting, Renoir took obvious pleasure in juxtaposing the real flowers with the drawn ones on the Delft vase.