Alfred Quinton Collins (1855 - 1903, Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Japanese Irises, 1893
Oil on canvas, 68.5 x 56 cm (26 15/16 x 22 1/16 in.)
This vertical impressionistic painting captures four loosely rendered white irises in front of three lavender and purple irises behind, all against a background sea of blue, green and yellow stems and long, slender leaves. Some of the stems are dark blue topped which may suggest incipient buds of not-yet-open deep bluish-purple irises. The sense of movement from the verticality of the stems contrasts with the stability of the luminous white irises in front and the purple ones behind.
Vatichino
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.