Paul Gauguin (French, 1848–1903) Still Life with Peonies, 1884, oil on canvas, 231/2 × 283/4 in. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, 1995.47.10.

DENVER, CO.- On July 19, the Denver Art Museum opened In Bloom: Painting Flowers in the Age of Impressionism, the centerpiece exhibition for a campus-wide summer celebration. In Bloom explores the development of 19th-century French floral still-life painting, and features about 60 paintings by world-renowned French artists Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Vincent Van Gogh and others. On view through Oct. 11, 2015, In Bloom is a ticketed exhibition, and free for museum members. 

Anne Vallayer-Coster, Bouquet of Flowers in a Blue Porcelain Vase, 1776. Oil On Canvas, 48 1/4 x 44 1/2. Dallas Museum of Art Foundation for the Arts Collection, Mrs. John B. O'Hara Fund and gift of Michael L. Rosenberg.

The colorful exhibition demonstrates how a traditional genre was reinvented by 19th-century artists, as the art world's focus was shifting to modernism. The exhibition is co-curated by Dr. Heather MacDonald, Getty Foundation and formerly of the Dallas Museum of Art, and Dr. Mitchell Merling, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and curated locally by Angelica Daneo, associate curator of painting and sculpture at the DAM.  

Jean-Baptiste Siméon Chardin, A Vase of Flowers, early 1760s. Oil On Canvas, 45.20 x 37.10 cm. National Galleries of Scotland. Purchased with the aid of the Cowan Smith Bequest Fund 1937 NG 1883

In Bloom examines the change from meticulous and lush still-life paintings to compositions with looser brush strokes and fewer, unified subjects. Organized by the Dallas Museum of Art and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the DAM serves as the last stop for this exhibition

Gustave Courbet, Bouquet of Flowers in a Vase, 1862. Oil On Canvas, 39 1/2 x 28 7/8 in., 100.3 x 73.3 cm. J. Paul Getty Museum Digital image courtesy of the Getty's Open Content Program 85.PA.168.

“When we think of the Impressionists, images of vibrant landscapes come to mind, but in this exhibition our visitors will be able to experience the artists’ ability to capture the fleeting beauty of flower bouquets,” said Daneo. “Increasingly popular since the 1500s, the floral still life was revitalized in France during the 1800s, when artists explored the genre’s technical and artistic potential.” In Bloom follows landmark developments in the French floral still-life genre from the late 1700s to the early 1900s. Visitors receive a foundation for the experiments of the 19th century by starting with the examination of works by masters such as Anne Vallayer-Coster and Pierre-Joseph Redouté. Highlights of the exhibition include productions by artists from the Lyon School, Impressionist still lifes by Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas and Pierre-Auguste Renoir and post-Impressionist works by Vincent van Gogh. The exhibition concludes with pieces by Odilon Redon, Pierre Bonnard and Henri Matisse, who continued the floral still-life tradition as modernism was radically transforming the art world. 

Edouard Manet, Flowers in a Crystal Vase, c. 1882. Oil On Canvas, 12 7/8 x 9 5/8 in., 32.7 x 24.5 cm. National Gallery of Art, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Collection, 1970.17.37.

Inside the gallery, visitors have the opportunity to engage with an optional In Bloom experience through The Impressionist Garden: Scent Experience. Since many Impressionist artists were avid gardeners and clipped their own flowers to create arrangements like those on view in the exhibition, a large photomural of Monet in his garden at Giverny sets the stage for this naturalistic experience. As visitors walk through the room they encounter three scents inspired by flowers and foliage created by master perfumer Dawn Spencer-Hurwitz. When visitors leave the scent room, a special card is available to continue the sensory experience of the gardens in the gallery that follows.  

Vincent Van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890) Vase with Cornflowers and Poppies, 1887, oil on canvas, 311/2 × 263/8 in. Triton Collection Foundation.

“We are thrilled to bring an exhibition to Denver that will give visitors new insight into some of the world’s greatest artists,” said Christoph Heinrich, Frederick and Jan Mayer Director at the DAM. "This exhibition is the perfect opportunity for visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the museum’s permanent galleries with ‘floral moments’ scattered throughout the North and Hamilton buildings. In Bloom supporting programming will deliver a campus-wide knockout art experience for all audiences."  

Henri Fantin-Latour (French, 1836– 1904), The Engagement Still Life, 1869, oil on canvas, 1215/16 × 12 in. Musée de Grenoble, MG 2490.

Monthly and weekend programming like Create Playdates, Fox Tale Sundays and Create-n-Takes are all inspired by flowers. Sketching materials are available on-site for visitors to take to the galleries and create their own flower-inspired artwork. Throughout the summer, visitors also have the opportunity to watch artists at work making floral arrangements, wax flowers and beaded blooms. 

Édouard Manet (French, 1832–1883), Vase of White Lilacs and Roses, 1883, oil on canvas, 22 × 181/8 in. Dallas Museum of Art, The Wendy and Emery Reves Collection, 1985.R.34.

Pierre-Joseph Redouté (Flemish, 1759–1840; active in France), Vase of Flowers, 1799. Oil on canvas, 23 5⁄8 × 20 1⁄8 in. (60 × 51 cm). Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen, Bequest of Mme Vve Eugénie le Maître, 1953.1.4.

Odilon Redon, Vase of Flowers, c. 1905. Oil On Fabric, 73 x 59 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art. Gift of Roberta Holden Bole, 1935.233.

Pierre Auguste Renoir, Bouquet in a Vase, 1878. Oil On Canvas, 18 3/4 x 13 in. Indianapolis Museum of Art. The Lockton Collection, 70.8.

Ferdinand-Victor-Eugène Delacroix, Still Life with Dahlias, c. 1833. Oil On Canvas, 19 11/16 x 13 in., 50 x 33 cm. Philadelphia Museum of Art, John G. Johnson Collection, 1917 Cat. 976.

Claude Monet, Flowers in a Vase, 1888. Oil On Canvas, 31 1/2 x 17 3/4 in., 80 x 45.1 cm. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Bequest of Charlotte Dorrance Wright, 1978, 1978-1-23.