Roses

William Jabez Muckley 1837 - 1905

Summary

Still life group of a large bouquet of pale roses in full bloom, in a wide footed glass vase on an ornate sideboard. More blooms and scattered petals surround the vase. This is a highly realistic representation of a floral bouquet.

Display Label

Roses 1883 William Jabez Muckley 1837-1905 Oil on Canvas William Muckley was Headmaster of Manchester School of Art from 1862 to 1882 and was well-known in Europe for his still-life paintings. He wrote a number of popular instruction books for artists including ‘A Manual of Flower Painting in Oil Colours from Nature’, which was published by the artists’ suppliers Winsor & Newton. In this he urged his readers to look at the techniques used by Dutch artists, particularly van Os and van Huysum whose paintings hang nearby. In this study of roses, Muckley demonstrates the influence of Dutch still lifes in the massing of the blooms, the way the rosebuds hang over the edge of the table and the dark, impenetrable background. He captures both the beauty and the imperfections of nature by including fallen petals and an insect nibbled leaf. Like the Dutch artists, he strove hard to create an impression of realism, telling his students that, ‘to paint a rose properly often takes from seven to nine hours’ continuous work.’ Gift of James Chadwick 1888.2