Peonies
painter
Wilton Lockwood
(Wilton, Connecticut, 1862 - 1914, New York)
Dateabout 1913
Place MadeUnited States, North America
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions60 x 71 cm (23 5/8 x 27 15/16 in.)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession numberP11n15
Status
Not on viewWeb CommentaryWhile violets were Isabella's favorite flowers, peonies must have been a close runner-up. She cultivated the pretty plants in her extensive gardens at her home in Brookline and won first prize from the Massachusetts Historical Society for her "vase of [peony] blooms on long stems, arranged for effect."
Her enthusiasm for peonies even informed the artists she patronized. Wilton Lockwood cultivated peonies on Cape Cod, and his paintings of the flowers became his most popular subject. Isabella purchased this painting in 1914 at a Boston art gallery, and it was later exhibited at the Worcester Art Museum, along with 27 other Lockwood paintings (12 entitled Peonies).
In Massachusetts, peonies typically bloom in June. Thanks to this purchase, Isabella enjoyed peonies year-round.
Id722226
Last Updated8/9/24
EmbARK ObjectID10918
Source ID178
