The Basket of Flowers, c. 1913/1917

Not on View

Medium

oil on canvas

Dimensions

overall: 81.4 x 81.5 cm (32 1/16 x 32 1/16 in.)

framed: 93.8 x 94 x 6.7 cm (36 15/16 x 37 x 2 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

Chester Dale Collection

Accession Number

1963.10.147

Artists / Makers

Frederick Carl Frieseke (artist) American, 1874 - 1939

Image Use

This image is in the public domain.
Read our full Open Access policy for images .

Inscription

lower left: F.C. Frieseke.

Provenance

Alex M. Hudnut, New York, until 1931; (sale, American Art Association, 12 November 1931, no. 16); Chester Dale [1883-1962], New York; bequest 1963 to NGA.

Associated Names

American Art Association
Dale, Chester
Hudnut, Alex M.

Exhibition History

1931: Renoir and his Tradition, Museum of French Art, New York, 1931, no. 30.

1932: Paintings by American Artists, The Union League Club, New York, 1932, no. 1.

1937: An Exhibition of American Paintings from the Chester Dale Collection, The Union League Club, New York, 1937, no. 48.

Technical Summary

The unlined support is a fine, plain-weave fabric attached by tacks to its original five-member, mortise-and-tenon stretcher. There is no ground layer. In the background the diluted paint, almost like a stain, created a lush, soft surface. (Some light blue paint penetrated the fibers and stained the reverse.) Around the figure and chair, portions of raw fabric were left exposed, allowing glimpses of it to highlight various elements. In the figure, chair, and basket of flowers, the paint is of a much thicker, pastelike consistency, with crisp ridges and bold impasto. In some outlines, the paint is drawn across the surface in long strokes, giving a dry, scumbled appearance. Because the image is painted directly onto the support, much of the binding medium has been absorbed into the fabric, causing some loss of adhesion and leaving the paint layer fragile; minor losses have occurred along the edge of the basket and in the woman's hair. The painting appears to have never been varnished, therefore maintaining its intended soft, matte appearance.

Bibliography

1965: Paintings other than French in the Chester Dale Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1965: 58, repro.

1970: American Paintings and Sculpture: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1970: 60, repro.

1980: American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1980: 162, repro.

1992: American Paintings: An Illustrated Catalogue. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1992: 184, repro.

1996: Kelly, Franklin, with Nicolai Cikovsky, Jr., Deborah Chotner, and John Davis. American Paintings of the Nineteenth Century, Part I. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 1996: 228-230, color repro.