François Rivoire – Bouquet Of Anemones And Daffodils – Watercolor – Signed – Circa 1900

François RIVOIRE (Lyon, 1842 – Villers-en-Arthies, 1919)
Bouquet of anemones and daffodils in a green-glazed pitcher, circa 1900
Watercolor on paper
Signed lower right “Rivoire ”
33 x 24.8 cm (image size) — 45 x 37 cm (framed)
Excellent condition
Period carved and gilded wooden frame, with some wear to the gilding

A late-winter bouquet, the kind one would bring home from the market when the first anemones arrived alongside the last daffodils. Rivoire has placed it in a green-glazed ceramic pitcher—an everyday object, not a ceremonial vase—and that is precisely what gives the composition its charm.

The anemones dominate, in every shade of red: bright coral in the center, grainy black centers, and more muted, pinker buds toward the right. Surrounding them, the white daffodils form a light mass that the artist achieved by leaving areas of the paper unpainted.

At the back of the bouquet, three paler flowers—ivory washed with pink and gray—stand out on long, supple stems. They rise well above the rest and lend the composition its height and lightness, breaking up the compact mass of anemones. Rivoire renders them in blended brushstrokes, without seeking botanical precision—this is very much his style: the overall effect takes precedence over the accuracy of the species.

At the bottom, to the left of the pitcher, a blue anemone lying flat on the mantelpiece echoes the red of the bouquet and balances the composition from below. A few fallen petals and a sprig of fern lie scattered on the table to the right: a discreet still-life detail that anchors the scene in reality.

The gray background, rendered in a soft wash, and the barely suggested tabletop leave the stage entirely to the flowers. The pitcher, meanwhile, is rendered with a beautiful sense of freedom—deep green, blue highlights, and white light gliding over its belly.

An intimate vertical format, highly adaptable: this type of artwork fits perfectly in an entryway, a hallway, or a bedroom, in both traditional and contemporary interiors.
Condition

Watercolor in excellent condition: fresh colors, sound paper, clear signature. Period gilded wooden frame showing wear to the gilding, consistent with its age.

The Artist
François Rivoire was born in Lyon in 1842 into a family of textile manufacturers. He likely began his career as a draftsman for the Lyon silk industry before studying at the École des Beaux-Arts de Lyon under Jean-Marie Reignier, a leading figure in Lyon’s floral painting tradition.
He specialized early on in watercolor and gouache, techniques that would establish his reputation. He exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français beginning in 1866 and remained a regular exhibitor there until 1914. After settling in Paris, he opened a studio on Rue Fontaine where many women from high society came to study—watercolor was then considered part of a proper artistic education.
Awards followed: an honorable mention at the 1883 Salon, a medal in 1886, prizes at the World’s Fairs, membership in the Society of French Watercolorists beginning in 1890, and the title of Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1906. The Reims Museum of Fine Arts houses several of his floral watercolors.

Rivoire does not seek botanical detail. He seeks the overall effect—the freshness, the lightness, the light passing through a petal. This is what distinguishes his bouquets from the academic flower painting of his time.

Work on view at the gallery (07240)
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