Lilacs and Peonies in Two Vases

In 1881 Gustave Caillebotte purchased a country house in the Seine village of Le Petit-Gennevilliers, across from Argenteuil. There he set up a flower garden with a greenhouse for orchids. He exchanged ideas about horticulture with Monet, who was also a passionate gardener. Inspired by his example, Caillebotte painted twenty-five still lifes with flowers from his garden.