Alfred Stevens
After studying with François-Joseph Navez at the academy of Brussels, Alfred Stevens settled in Paris in 1852. A highly gifted colorist and a great admirer of Édouard Manet, he concentrated on realistic portraiture. He painted opulent portraits of fashionable ladies from the Second Empire. When Stevens painted Autumn Flowers in 1867, he was at the height of his career. Through his brilliant rendering of the fabrics and some precious objects, he created a luxurious atmosphere around his characters. The brilliant effect in Autumn Flowers was achieved, curiously, by working in a somber tonality with little marked contrasts. Those refined harmonies of somber colors—black, grey, and greyish or olive green—with a few light accents, create an impression of wealth without splendor, of discreet opulence. Until the fall of Napoleon III, Stevens often visited the court, both in the Tuileries palace and in Compiègne. With the rise of Impressionism, however, his work gradually fell out of favor.
We present today's work thanks to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels.
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P.S. If you're already familiar with Édouard Manet's works but not so much with his fascinating life, this article is perfect for you!