The Trellis

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The Trellis

Artist Gustave Courbet French, 1819-1877

Date1862

Dimensionspainting: 43 1/4 × 53 1/4 in. (109.9 × 135.3 cm)
framed: 54 3/4 × 65 × 4 in. (139.1 × 165.1 × 10.2 cm)

Mediumoil on canvas

ClassificationPaintings

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1950.309

On View

Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 33

Collections

Paintings

Published References

Conil, M., "L'exposition de peintre de Saintes, G. Courbet," Courrier des Deux Charentes, Saintes, Feb. 19, 1863, p. 3.

Anonymous, "Exposition de peinture, M. Courbet," L'Indépendant de la Charente-Inférieure, Saintes, January 29, 1863, p. 3.

Bruno, J., Les Misères des gueux, Paris, 1872, fig. 34 (as Alice à la serre).

Estignard, A., G. Courbet, sa vie, ses oeuvres, Besancon, 1896, p. 162.

Riat, S., Gustave Courbet, peintre, Paris, 1906, pp. 200, 336.

Duret, T., Courbet, Paris, 1918, pp. 64, 119.

Gustave Courbet, Paris, Editions de la Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 1929, no. 41, pl. 8.

Gronkowski, Camille, "L'Exposition Gustave Courbet au Petit Palais," Gazette des Beaux-Arts, LXXXII, July 1929, p. 34, repr. fig. 10, opp. p. 30.

Meier-Graefe, J., Courbet, Munich, 1924, pls. 27, 29.

Manson, J., "The Workman Collection, Modern Foreign Art," Apollo, III, March 1920, p. 140, repr. opp. p. 218.

Kunst und Künstler, vol. 28, October 1929, p. 16, repr.

The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 16, 1929, p. 161.

Rich, Daniel Catton, Catalogue of a Century of Progress Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture lent from the American Collections, Chicago, R.R. Donnelly and Sons, 1933, no. 180, p. 31.

Rocheblave, S., French Painting in the XIXthe Century, New York, 1941, p. 83, repr.

Scheffler, Karl, Die Grossen Französischen Maler der 19. Jahrhunderts, 1942, p. 108, repr.

Courthion, P., Courbet raconté par lui-meme et par ses amis, Geneva, 1948-1950, I, p. 168.

Zahar, Marcel, Gustave Courbet, Paris, Flammarion, 1950, repr. pl. 28.

The Toledo Museum News, no. 130, p. 9, repr. p. 8, November-December 1951.

Mack, G., Gustave Courbet, New York, 1951, p. 172, pl. 38.

Illustrated London News, vol. 131, October 18, 1952, p. 637, repr.

A Loan Exhibition of Masterpieces of French Painting through Five Centuries, 1400-1900, New Orleans, 1953, no. 59, p. 41, repr. p. 86.

Meddelelser Fra NY Carlsberg Glyptotek, vol. II, 1954, p. 25, repr.

Fosca, Francoise, La Peinture Française au XIX Siécle, Paris, Editions Pierre Tisné, n.d., p. 97, repr. in color.

Watt, Alexander, "Paris Commentary," Studio, vol. 149, May 1955, p. 153, repr.

"Three to Start '56," Courbet Exhibition at Paul Rosenberg Gallery, Art News, vol. 54, January 1956, p. 56.

Chamson, André, Gustave Courbet, New York, 1956, repr. opp. p. 25, in color.

"Masterworks on Loan at Wildenstein's," Arts, Apirl 1961, vol. 35, no. 7, p. 30, repr.

Wittmann, Otto, "L'art français an musée de Toledo," Connaisance des Arts, no. 125, July 1962, p. 45, repr. and appendix p. III.

Leymarie, Jean, French Painting: the Nineteenth Century, Geneva, Skira, 1962, p. 144, repr. in color, p. 143.

Grosser, Maurice, Critic's Eye, Indianapolis, Bobbs-Merrill, 1962, p. 169.

Bowness, Alan, ed., Impressionists and Post-Impressionists, New York, 1965, p. 35, repr. (b&w).

Delestre, G., Courbet dans les collections privées françaises, exh. cat., Paris, Galerie Claude Aubrey, 1966, in no. 10.

Bonniot, R., "Gustave Courbet dans les collection privées françaises, Journal de l'amateur d'art, July 1966, p. 11.

A Guide to the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, 1966, repr.

Sutton, Denys, "Nineteenth-Century Painting: Trends and Cross-Currents," Apollo, vol. 86, no. 70, Dec. 1967, p. 492, 493, repr. (b&w) fig. 19, p. 492.

Fernier, R., Gustave Courbet, peintre de l'art vivant, Paris, 1969, fig. 106.

Courbet et la réalisme, Tokyo, 1972, repr. p. 125. (text in Japanese).

Lindsay, J., Gustave Courbet, His Life and Art, Somerset, 1973, pp. 203-204, fig. 48.

Bonniot, R., Gustave Courbet en Saintonge, Paris, 1973, pp. 87, 229, 243, 262.

Faré, Michel and Fabrice, "Survivances de la nature morte chez Gustave Courbet," L'Oeil, no. 267, Oct. 1977, p. 10, repr. p. 17.

(Toussaint, Hélène), "Mystères et symboles chez Courbet," Connaissance des Arts, no. 308, Oct. 1977, p. 68, repr. (col.) pp. 66-67.

Foucart, Bruno, G. Courbet, New York, 1977, p. 80, repr. (col.) p. 49.

Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), Paris, Grand Palais, 1977, no. 70, p. 161, 162, repr. p. 162 and p. 66 (col.).

Metken, Günter, "Le paysan de Paris, Gustave Courbet," Weltkunst, vol. 47, no. 22, Nov. 15, 1977, repr. p. 2451.

"Grand Palais: Gustave Courbet," La Revue de Louvre, vol. 27, no. 4, 1977, p. 275, repr. p. 274.

Fernier, Robert, La vie et l'oeuvre de Gustave Courbet, Catalogue raisonné, vol. 1, Lausanne, 1977, no. 357, p. 204, repr.

Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), London, Arts Council of Great Britain, 1978, p. 144, no. 67, repr. p. 145, p. 66 (col.).

(Sutton, Denys), "Bonjour Tristesse" (editorial), Apollo, vol. 107, no. 191, Jan. 1978, repr. fig. 11, p. 6.

N(icholson), B(enedict), "Courbet at the R. A.," Burlington, vol. 120, no. 900, March 1978, p. 173.

Neve, Christopher, "The ego of Monsieur Courbet," Country Life, vol. 163, no. 4204, Feb. 2, 1978, repr. p. 260.

Mackie, Alwynne, "Courbet and Realism," Art International, vol. 22, no. 7, Nov./Dec. 1978, p. 40, repr. p. 39.

Courbet und Deutschland, Hamburg, Kunsthalle and Frankfurt-am-Main, Kunstinstitut und Stadlische Galerie, 1978-1979, p. 37, repr. no. 243a, p. 236, repr. (not in exhibition).

Spencer-Longhurst, Paul, "Corot and Courbet," Connoisseur, vol. 201, no. 809, July 1979, p. 212.

Morse, John D., Old Master Paintings in North America, New York, 1979, p. 72.

Courbet, Tokyo, 1981, p. 117, repr. (col.) pl. 31, text in Japanese.

Rosenblum, Robert and H. W. Janson, 19th Century Art, New York, 1984, pp. 292, 293, repr. fig. 231.

Norton, Thomas E., 100 Years of Collecting in America: The Story of Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, 1984, p. 53, repr. (col.).

Stuckey, Charles F., "Degas as an artist: Revised and Still Unfinished," in Degas: Form and Space, Paris, 1984, p. 16.

Courthion, Pierre, L'Opera completa di Courbet, Milan, 1985, p. 92, no. 340, repr.

Lacambre, Jean, "La 'Reception' en France des peintres hollandais du XVIIe siècle," in De Rembrandt a Vermeer, The Hague, 1986, [exhibition at Grand Palais; painting not in exh.]

Hoog, Michel, "La promotion de la nature morte au XIX siècle," Bulletin de la Societe des Amis du Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rennes, no. 5, 1987, p. 59, fig. 5.

[advertisement] Artnews, vol. 87, no. 9, Nov. 1988, repr. p. 126, (circle no. 10).

Faunce, Sarah and Linda Nochlin, Courbet Reconsidered, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum, 1988, no. 41, p. 146, repr. (col.) and on cover (col., det.).

"Courbet Reconsidered," Public Programs, The Brooklyn Museum, Oct/Nov/Dec 1988, repr.

Picon, Gaétan, 1863 Naissance de la peinture moderne, Tours, Gallimard, 1988, p. 169, repr. (col.) p. 178.

Boggs, Jean Sutherland, Degas, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1988, p. 116, repr. fig. 61 [not in exhibition]

Flam, Jack, "The Man Who Made Stones Think," Art News, vol. 87, no. 9, Dec. 1988, p. 117.

Eitner, Lorenz, An Outline of 19th Century European Painting, New York, 1988, vol. 1, p. 262, vol. 2, repr. p. 144.

Herding, Klaus, "Brooklyn and Minneapolis: Courbet Reconsidered," Burlington, vol. 131, no. 1032, March 1989, p. 244.

Young, Mahonri Sharp, "Bonjour Monsieur Courbet," Apollo, vol. 129, no. 326, April 1989, p. 285, fig. 3.

Fried, Michael, Courbet's Realism, Chicago, 1990, pp. 342-343, no. 47, fig. 112.

Faunce, Sarah, Gustave Courbet, New York, 1993, p. 90, repr. (col.).

Groom, Gloria, Edouard Vuillard, painter-decorator: patrons and projects, 1892-1912, New Haven, 1993, p. 80, fig. 129, p. 78.

Tinterow, Gary and Henri Loyrette, The Origins of Impressionism, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1994, no. 41, p. 151, 156, 225, 306, 307, 338, 358-359, 360, 371, repr. p. 358 and 223 (col.).

Maurin, Gilbert, Les grands peintres, vol. II, Paris, 1994, repr. p. 90 (col.).

Marcoci, Roxana, Gardens in Bloom, New York, 1995, p. [28], repr. p. [29] (col.).

The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Treasures, Toledo, 1995, p. 125, repr. (col.).

Odilion Redon: La natura dell'invisibile/la nature de l'invisible, Milano, 1996, p. 88, fig. 11.

Pitman, Dianne W., Bazille: purity, pose and painting in the 1860's, University Park, PA, 1998, p. 181, fig. 119.

Rubin, James H., Impressionism, London, Phaidon, 1999, p. 184-185, 188, fig. 115, p. 183 (col.).

Room, Adrian, A dictionary of art titles: the origins of the names and titles of 3,000 works of art, Jefferson, NC, 2000, p. 248.

Courbet et la commune, Paris, 2000, p. 36, fig. 4, p. 35.

Taylor, Bradley L., "The effect of surrogation on viewer response to expressional qualities in works of art," unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Michigan, 2001, p. 116, pl. G3, p. 176.

D'Souza, Aruna, Self and history, a tribute to Linda Nochlin, London, Thames & Hudson, 2001, fig. 93, p. 193.

Duncan, Sally Anne, Otto Wittmann: Museum Man for All Seasons, Toledo, 2001, p. 17.

Rathbone, Eliza E. and George T.M. Shackelford, eds., Impressionist Still Life, New York, Phillips Collection, 2001, pp. 23, 50, 66, 204, pl. 3, p. 53 (col.).

Sachs, Samuel, Masterpieces of European Painting from the Toledo Museum of Art, New York, Frick Collection, 2002, p. [13], repr. (col.).

Brettell, Richard R., and Stephen Eisenman, Nineteenth Century Art in the Norton Simon Museum, New Haven, Yale, 2006, p. 166, fig. 42a.

Steinhauser, Beate, Les 'natures mortes' dans "Le Ventre de Paris" d'Emile Zola: lieux de recontre entre literature en peinture, Frankfurt am Main, Peter Lang, 2006, p. 82, fig. 26, p. 141.

Rosenberg, Pierre, Only in America: One Hundred Paintings in American Museums Unmatched in European Collections, Milano, Skira, 2006, p. 172, repr.

Sillevis, John, The Baroque World of Fernando Botero, Alexandria, VA, Art Services International, 2007, fig. 13, p. 98.

Des Cars, Laurence, Gustave Courbet, Paris, Réunion des musées nationaux, 2007, no. 154, p. 326-327, repr. (col.).

Chu, Petra ten-Doesschate, The Most Arrogant Man in France: Gustave Courbet and the Nineteenth-Century Media Culture, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2007, p. 144, repr. p. 145 (col.).

Font-Reaulx, Dominique de, Gustave Courbet, Ostfildern, Hatje Cantz, 2008, no. 154, pp. 326-327, repr. (col.) p. 326 (English version of catalogue for three venue exhibition held 2007-2008 at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the Musée Fabre, Montpellier).

Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Museum of Art Masterworks, Toledo, 2009, p. 263, repr. (col.).

Cet Obscur Objet de Désirs: Autour de L'Origine du monde, Ornans, Museé Courbet, 2014, pp. 123-124, repr. (col.) p. 124, fig. 9.

Gustave Courbet, Basel, Foundation Beyeler, 2014, p. 138, repr. (col.) p. 139.

Noon, Patrick and Christopher Riopelle, Delacroix and the Rise of Modern Art , London, The National Gallery Company, 2015, no. 65, p. 222, repr. (col.) p. 223.

Allard, Sebastien and Come Fabre, Delacroix, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018, fig. 121 (col.) p. 262.

Exhibition History

Saintes, Hotel de Ville, Explication des ouvrages de peinture et de sculpture exposés dans les salles de la mairie au profit des pauvres, 1863, no. 76 (as Femme aux fleurs).

Paris, Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Exposition des oeuvres de Gustave Courbet, 1882, no. 128.

London, Burlington Fine Arts Club, Pictures, Drawings and Sculpture of the French School of the Last 100 Years, 1922, no. 28.

Cleveland, Cleveland Museum of Art, French Art Since Eighteen Hundred, 1929, (lent by Paul Rosenberg & Co., through Wildenstein).

Paris, Palais des Beaux Arts, Gustave Courbet, 1929, no. 41.

Chicago, Chicago Art Institute, Century of Progress, 1933, no. 180.

San Francisco, San Francisco Museum of Art, Opening Exhibition, 1935, no. 5.

London, Wildenstein Galleries, 19th Century Masterpieces, 1935, no. 22.

Berlin, Galerie Wertheim, Gustave Courbet, 1935, no. 70.

Zurich, Kunsthaus, Exposition Gustave Courbet, 1935-1936, no. 70.

Cleveland, Cleveland Museum of Art, Great Lakes Exposition, 1936, no. 261.

Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum, Honderd Jaar Fransche Kunst, 1938, no. 72.

Hartford, Wadsworth Atheneum, The Painters of Still Life, 1938, no. 56.

Washington, Museum of Modern Art Gallery, Flowers and Fruits, 1938, no. 12.

Baltimore, Baltimore Museum of Art, Paintings by Courbet, 1938, no. 10.

San Francisco, Golden Gate International Exposition, Masterworks of Five Centuries, 1939, no. 144.

New York, Wildenstein, Courbet, 1949, no. 19.

Detroit, Detroit Institute of Arts, From David to Courbet, 1950, no. 104.

New York, Wildenstein Galleries, Fiftieth Anniversary, 1951, no. 36.

New Orleans, Isaac Delgado Museum, Masterpieces of French Painting through Five Centuries 1400-1900, Oct. 17, 1953-Jan. 10, 1954, no. 59.

Venice, Biennale, Courbet, 1954, no. 21.

Lyons, Musée de Lyon, Courbet, 1954, no. 26.

Paris, Petit Palais, G. Courbet, 1955, no. 45.

New York, Paul Rosenberg, Gustave Courbet, 1956, no. 8.

Philadelphia, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Gustave Courbet, 1959, no. 39.

New York, Wildenstein Galleries, Masterpieces, 1961, no. 34.

New York, Wildenstein Galleries, Birth of Impressionism, 1963, no. 25.

Paris, Grand Palais; London, Royal Academy of Arts, Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), 1977-1978.

Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum; Minneapolis, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Courbet Reconsidered, 1988-1989.

Paris, Grand Palais; New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Origins of Impressionism, 1859-1869, 1994.

Washington, DC, Phillips Collection; Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, Impressionist Still Life, 2001-2002.

New York, Frick Collection, Masterpieces of European Painting from the Toledo Museum of Art, Oct. 29, 2002-Jan. 5, 2003.

Paris, Grand Palais; New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art; Montpellier, Musée Fabre, Gustave Courbet, 2007-2008, no. 154.

Minneapolis, Minneapolis Institute of Arts; London, National Gallery, Eugène Delacroix and Modernity, October 17, 2016-May 15, 2016.

Label TextSummer flowers are the heart of this painting. Full-blown, they surge across the surface, engulfing the young woman whose dress is even printed with miniature flowers. Gustave Courbet, famous at the time for his confrontational images of peasant life and dramatic landscapes (see the Museum’s Landscape Near Ornans), led a personal campaign to reform art. He declared that artists must represent contemporary life, not imitate the past. This painting of a woman arranging cut flowers on an outdoor trellis reflects Courbet’s Realist manifesto: it presents the young woman not as a classical nymph or allegorical figure, but as a pretty model in contemporary dress. It also elevates flower painting—traditionally considered low on the hierarchy of artistic genres—to a grand scale, the blooms dominating the composition.