Still Life with Flowers in an Alabaster Vase and Fruit

Anne Vallayer-Coster

National Gallery of Art

This painting features a large ornate vase overflowing with an arrangement of colorful flowers, including roses, peonies, and poppies. The color palette is vibrant and varied, with hues of red, pink, blue, purple, white, and green. Positioned in the center, the vase is adorned with gold embellishments, including a small carving of a person on its front. The vase stands on a marble surface that also holds a pineapple and peaches to the right. Several leaves and clusters of green grapes rest on the left side of the marble. The light source is at the upper left, illuminating the flowers and casting dark shadows behind them. The background of the painting is dark gray.