Maréchal Niel Roses on a Black Background

Over the course of his thirty-year career, Slewinski produced many paintings of flowers in vases or plain jugs. Rather than attempting a naturalist depiction of these bouquets, Slewinski painted Synthetist “portraits” of them. Marechal Niel is an old variety of Noisette rose obtained by the French Giraud Pradel in 1864. The vase sits on a barely-suggested table or pedestal. The yellow and white blooms stand out against the dark background.