Meadow Flowers is one of small number of evocatively decorative Impressionist floral subjects that John Henry Twachtman completed during the early years of his residence in Greenwich, Connecticut. This vertical canvas is among the most daring of his works because of the abstracted quality of its composition and the expressive character of its execution. Though clearly legible as flowers, the forms in the painting are effectively removed from the context of a clearly defined space--there is no horizon or measured recession--resulting in a visual emphasis on the richly textured paint surface and the subtly animated pattern of the brushwork. The painting is further enriched by an opulent gilded frame designed by the architect Stanford White.
