Roses Jaunes, Maréchal Niel

Henri Fantin-Latour had an unrivaled record of achievement in the field of 19th-century floral still life painting. He was known at the time as the “Rose Painter,” even more so in 1900, when a new cultivated rosette was named in his honor. This work is representative of the mature period of Fantin-Latour’s artistry. The rose in this picture has the pedigree of a historic monthly rose, and it was named after Napoleon III’s most trusted general, the much-decorated Adolphe Niel. Because it is a beautiful cultivar with a golden color and strong fragrance, it was called “the most successful yellow rose of the 19th century.”