Nasturces
Gustave Caillebotte·1892
Historical Context
Nasturtiums (1892) belongs to Caillebotte's prolific late flower painting period at Petit-Gennevilliers, where he cultivated extensive beds of the vivid orange and yellow flowers. Nasturtiums, with their bold, warm colors and round, distinctive leaves, were a favorite of French garden painters and were associated with the productive kitchen garden as well as the ornamental border. Caillebotte was one of several Impressionist painters who became deeply engaged with floriculture — Monet at Giverny being the most celebrated example — and his flower paintings represent a sustained and technically accomplished body of work.
Technical Analysis
The nasturtium's bold orange and yellow flowers against their rounded green leaves provide Caillebotte with strong color contrasts rendered with lively, energetic brushwork. The flowers' dense, spreading habit creates a complex visual field that he organizes through attention to light and the color relationships between blooms and foliage.
