Still Life with Flowers in an Alabaster Vase and Fruit
Anne Vallayer-Coster·1783
Historical Context
Anne Vallayer-Coster's Still Life with Flowers in an Alabaster Vase and Fruit from 1783 is a sumptuous composition by one of the most accomplished still life painters of the French 18th century. Vallayer-Coster, who was admitted to the Royal Academy at the remarkably young age of twenty-six, enjoyed the patronage of Marie Antoinette and the highest French aristocracy. Her flower paintings combine the botanical precision of Dutch tradition with the decorative richness of the French Rococo.
Technical Analysis
Vallayer-Coster's oil-on-canvas technique achieves remarkable textural variety, from the translucent alabaster vase to the soft flower petals and the glistening fruit surfaces. The harmonious composition and rich palette demonstrate her mastery of the French still life tradition.
Provenance
The artist, Paris; by inheritance to her husband, Jean-Pierre-Silvestre Coster [1745-1824]; their estate sale, at his residence, 47 boulevard du Temple, Paris, 21 June 1824, no. 1;[1] purchased by a member of the Coster family and then probably by descent to Coster heirs. Acquired in the second half of the 1940s by a private collector in Grand Est region, France; by inheritance to his son and daughter, France; (sale, Christie's, Paris, 15 June 2023, no. 42); purchased by NGA. [1] _Notice des tableaux de fleurs peints par Mme Vallayer-Coster, Ancien member de l’Académie royale de Peinture_, introduction by Charles Paillet, Paris: 1824. The painting sold for 1,100 francs. The sale catalogue described the painting thus: “Un des ouvrages les plus capitaux de cette célèbre artiste, il offre, pour objet principal, un vase d'albâtre richement orné, dans lequel sont placées des fleurs du plus bel éclat et du plus beau choix. Ce vase, posé sur une table à dessus de marbre blanc, est entouré de fruits, tels que grapes de raisin, pêches et ananas. Il porte la date de 1783 ; et, depuis cette époque, qui était celle de la grande force des talens [sic] de Mme Coster, elle a constamment résisté aux instances réitérées des personnages illustres et des amateurs distingués qui désiraient posséder ce tableau, dont elle n'a jamais voulu se désaisir, le regardant comme le meilleur de ses ouvrages.” (“One of the most significant works by this famous artist, it presents as its main subject a richly adorned alabaster vase, in which flowers of the most brilliant splendor and finest selection are placed. This vase, placed on a white marble tabletop, is surrounded by fruits such as grapes, peaches, and pineapples. It bears the date of 1783, and since that time, which was the period of Madame Coster's great talent, she has consistently resisted the repeated requests of illustrious individuals and distinguished art lovers who desired to possess this painting, as she never wanted to part with it, considering it the best of her works.”)
