BACK TO THE ARTIST   Peonies, 1864-1865           Details     Description     Artist Manet, Édouard Most oft he Impressionist at some time or another tackled flower and still-life painting but their reason for doing so was not to faithfully streak every petal like the 17th century Dutch artists; even less so to get bogged down in finicky detail. They sought to break up the structure and lay it in broad tones with directness and simplicity; to study the relationships of light and colour. This is whatManetdoes brilliantly in this vigorous study of Peonies. There is a marvellous vitality about the flowers and vase, which merge in sweep of flecked pink. The reflections of the flower are caught in the dark tabletop emitting a coruscating shimmer found mainly in his seascapes.     Date 1864-1865   Institution The Metropolitan Museum of Art     Medium Oil on canvas   Dimensions 59.4 x 35.2 cm