Flower Paintings and Flower Painters

Flower Painters

Many artists throughout the years have spent their whole careers painting flowers, so much so that entire exhibitions can be organized around the theme of flower paintings. I start these beautiful paintings with my favorites but I am really spoiled for choice.

Claude Monet

Paris bornClaude Monet painted ‘The Poppy Field’ over 100 years ago but it is just as amazing now as it must have been in reality then. The fields outside Argenteuil were covered in wildflowers and he somehow managed to capture this wildness with the bright ‘poppy red’ color delicately applied giving the appearance of poppies swaying in the breeze. With the profuseness of red dots set against lovely green of the meadow this is truly a stunning painting. In the foreground he includes Camille and Jean, his wife and son, amongst the poppies. Quirkily, he placed them again at the top of the hill but they are smaller figures and much less distinct. Monet had a passion for color and this work is his best. Monet was the first and best of the Impressionists. Monet also painted ‘Waterlilies’ which can be viewed with other works of his at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

Childe Hassam

Childe Hassam, an American painter who liked to paint watercolor scenes of the outdoors nonetheless produced a beautiful painting of the indoors. And he used oils to boot! The piece is called ‘The Room of Flowers’ and shows a cluttered room of tables, books, artwork, ornaments and most importantly of all fabulous flowers. Childe was influential in the impressionism movement and he produced many thousands of pieces. A nice outdoor painting by Childe is ‘Celia Thaxter's Garden’ which is on show at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. If you live in the Big Apple or have a vacation there then I recommend that you pay a visit to this gallery, where you will find many masterpieces to enjoy.

Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh was in Arles, France, when he painted wild irises blooming in a meadow. Vincent was transfixed by the fields in the area which were covered with yellow and purpleish hues. The museum in Amsterdam is named after him and it is there that one can view ’Field of Flowers near Arles’ which is roughly 20" x 25" in size.

Flowers in a Blue Vase also painted by Vincent is a beautifully multi colored bouquet of mixed flowers. The piece measures 24" x 15" and this also resides in
the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso flower paintings are well known from his Blue Period but he also had a Rose Period beforehand, which I much prefer. It was at the end of this period (almost immediately prior to the blue period) that he painted his early little known work ‘Fleurs’. Flowers was the first Picasso work bought by the Tate Gallery via funding from art lovers to help museums and galleries buy important works of art. Picasso later founded and had a big influence on Cubism.

Paul Klee, abstract artist

Blumen im Wind is a watercolor painted by Paul Kleeknown under its English title as ‘Flowers in the Wind’. It’s a small piece, measuring only 12" x 8" on board but ii is a beautiful watercolor and ink combination. The work is on display at the Museum of Modern Art, otherwise know as MoMA in New York. Paul was born in Switzerland but he lived in Germany until he was forced to leave the country by the Nazis. His abstract art was too radical, if that’s possible?

Cedric Morris

Cedric Morris painted many, many flowers and has had several new flowers named in his honor including Irises, roses and geraniums. His was knighted and became Sir Cedric and he lived into his 90s. My favorite painting by Cedric is his 'Iris Seedlings' which is in the TATE Gallery in London.

Prints of large flower paintings

Prints of all these works plus smaller prints of original large paintings can be obtained from the main Galleries throughout the world. Some artist websites will also offer the service. Others famous artists who tried their hand at flower painting are Andy Warhol, Jean-Baptiste Robie, Georgia O'Keeffe, Edouard Manet, Pierre-Joseph Redoute and Henri Matisse to mention but a few.