Lilacs and Peonies in Two Vases

Lilacs and Peonies in Two Vases (1883, Museum Barberini) is one of Caillebotte's most accomplished flower paintings, combining two of the most visually complex spring blooms in a double-vase composition that allowed him to explore contrasting forms, colors, and textures. The lilac's clustered, small-bloomed clusters contrast with the peony's large, full-petaled spherical blooms, and the two vases create a formal symmetry that he subtly disrupts through the different characters of the flowers. The Barberini Museum's collection of Caillebotte works gives a particularly complete view of his late practice.

The double-vase composition creates a symmetric formal structure that Caillebotte uses as a foil for the varied, asymmetric organic forms of the flowers themselves. Lilac clusters are rendered with small, varied strokes capturing their texture, while peony petals receive broader, more flowing treatment. The cool purple of the lilacs against the pink-white of the peonies creates a delicate chromatic relationship.