À propos de l’œuvre
Fleurs de topinambour, par Claude Monet
Claude Monet · Vétheuil · 1880 · W629
Jerusalem artichoke flowers W629hand painted reproduction
A tall bouquet of yellow Jerusalem artichokes overflows largely from a white cylindrical vase. The dark green stems and leaves unfold in front of a background of vertical blue, pink and cream touches; on the round table, a darker vegetable or textile crown surrounds the container. Signed and dated 1880, this oil on canvas measuring 99.6 × 73 cm is kept in the National Gallery of Art under number 1963.10.181 and corresponds to Wildenstein 629.
Look at the work
The bouquet fills the format like a vertical landscape, from the dark circle of the table to the tallest flowers
The vase is placed just to the left of the central axis and serves as an anchor point. From its narrow neck, the stems spread out in a fan shape; some flowers are seen from the front, others in profile or almost turned over. This variety prevents the yellow mass from forming a symmetrical crown.
The petals combine lemon yellow, gold and orange around darker centers. The leaves mix emerald, blue and black green. The light background crosses the spaces of the bouquet and reappears in the vase, maintaining air despite the abundance of flowers.
Monet treats still life with outdoor mobility: no flower is isolated by an outline, but each exists by the direction and temperature of its keys.
Composition, touch and light
What Monet builds behind the impression of snapshot
Three precise elements allow us to understand this composition and the essential difficulties of faithful reproduction.
Flowers close to sunflowers
Jerusalem Jerusalem artichoke, or Jerusalem artichoke, belongs to the genus Helianthus. Its yellow flower heads and long stems allow Monet to build a very tall still life, both compact and radiant.
A simple vase opposed to plant abundance
The almost cylindrical white shape receives few details. Its stability, narrow edge and light surface bring out the complexity of the leaves without competing with the bouquet.
A background obtained by long vertical touches
Salmon pink, turquoise, denim blue and creamy white descend behind the flowers. These bands return to the direction of the stems while providing luminous intervals between the leaves.
Reference image
Read this specific version
The single image comes from the open scan of the National Gallery of Art. The source file of 2899 × 4000 px is limited to 2174 × 3000 px then encoded as a real WebP.
Respect the irregular fan of the stems
The bouquet should remain wider at the top, but without symmetry. The isolated flowers on the sides and the protruding stems give the whole thing its natural momentum.
Keep several yolks in the petals
Lemon, gold and orange distinguish the flower heads and indicate their orientation. A single yellow would transform the floral material into a flat silhouette.
Keep the crown dark around the vase
This area connects the container to the table and balances the greens of the bouquet. Too clear, it would become an autonomous decorative object; too weak, the vase would seem to float.
Documented benchmarks
Three pieces of information specific to this work
The National Gallery of Art documents Jerusalem Artichoke Flowers, oil on canvas from 1880, 99.6 × 73 cm, inventory 1963.10.181 and catalog Wildenstein 629.
Presented in 1882 under the title Jerusalem artichoke flowers
Mr. Cahuzac lent the painting to the seventh impressionist exhibition, where it appeared under number 57. The historical French title precisely identifies the bouquet.
Claude Monet 1880, painted red
The signature and date are at the bottom right. Their color responds to the orange accents of the flowers and the warm touches of the table.
From Cahuzac to the Chester Dale collection
The painting was notably passed by Georges de Bellio, the Prince of Wagram and Durand-Ruel. Chester Dale purchased it in 1929 and bequeathed it to the National Gallery in 1963.
Your reproduction
What the painter must preserve
Fidelity here depends on precise relationships between light, touch, depth and color temperature.
- The Wildenstein 629 version
- The cylindrical white vase under the bouquet
- The yellow and orange flower heads oriented differently
- The vertical background pink, turquoise and blue
Work sheet
| Title | Jerusalem artichoke flowers W629 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Claude Monet (1840 -1926) |
| Date | 1880 |
| Original technique | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 99.6 × 73 cm |
| Orientation | Vertical |
| Conservation | National Gallery of Art, Washington, United States |
| Inventory | 1963.10.181 · Wildenstein 629 |
| Your reproduction | Handmade oil painting on canvas |
Presentation in your interior
A palette designed with the room
This large vertical composition brings a solar accent to a dining room, entrance or bedroom. A gray blue, sage green or earth pink wall and a dark wood frame highlight the yellows without reducing the depth of the leaves.
