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Lost and Found: A Rediscovered Masterpiece Blooms at the National Gallery of Art

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Lost and Found: A Rediscovered Masterpiece Blooms at the National Gallery of Art

Afternoon Lecture/Seminar

Wednesday, September 25, 2024 - 12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. ET
Code: 1T0008
Location:
This online program is presented on Zoom.
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$20
Member
$25
Non-Member
Materials for this program

Still Life with Flowers in an Alabaster Vase and Fruit by Anne Vallayer-Coster, 1783

In 1783, a gorgeous still-life of flowers and fruit was displayed at the prestigious Salon in Paris by one of its few female members, Anne Vallayer-Coster. Still Life with Flowers in an Alabaster Vase and Fruit was critically acclaimed, and Vallayer-Coster received a number of offers to buy it. However, she refused them all and kept it until her death in 1818. The painting disappeared after her husband died in 1824.

Happily, Still Life with Flowers in an Alabaster Vase and Fruit was rediscovered in 2022 and hit the auction block at Christie’s Paris the following year. Now this masterpiece hangs at the National Gallery of Art.

Aaron Wile, the associate curator of French painting, explores this work’s fascinating story and Vallayer-Coster’s life. Despite the obstacles she faced as a woman in an art world dominated by men, Vallayer-Coster reached the heights of success, enjoying the patronage of some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in France, including Queen Marie Antoinette.

World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit*

General Information

*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1/2 elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.