Meadow Flowers (Golden Rod and Wild Aster)

Meadow Flowers is one of a small number of evocatively decorative Impressionist floral subjects that John Henry Twachtman completed after he moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1889. This vertical canvas is among his most daring works because of its abstracted composition and expressive execution. Though clearly legible as flowers, the forms in the painting are effectively removed from the context of a clearly defined space. The absence of a horizon or measured recession highlights the richly textured paint surface and subtly animated pattern of the brushwork. The painting is further enriched by an opulent gilded frame designed by the architect Stanford White.