Water LilyJohn LaFarge · 1896

Identification of the Water Lily Artwork

Water Lily is a work by the American artist John La Farge. Created in 1896, the piece reflects the aesthetic development of an artist born in New York City in 1835. La Farge remained a significant presence in the American art landscape until his death in 1910.

This specific composition belongs to a period of intense exploration in La Farge's career. While his reputation often rests upon his innovations in stained glass and mural design, his paintings from this era demonstrate a focused interest in the interplay of light and botanical forms. The work captures a singular moment of natural stillness.

Visual Composition and Subject Matter

A single water lily occupies the center of the composition, its yellow petals floating upon the water's surface. The flower features a large, prominent center. Surrounding the bloom, green leaves spread across the water, creating a sense of organic distribution. The entire scene is rendered in black and white, stripping away color to emphasize form and light.

The arrangement of the lily and its surrounding foliage establishes a serene and peaceful atmosphere. The stillness of the water is suggested through the placement of the petals and the steady spread of the leaves. This monochromatic approach focuses the viewer on the structural relationship between the botanical elements and the liquid plane they inhabit.

Related Works by John La Farge

La Farge’s exploration of aquatic themes appears throughout his career in various media. His early interest in these subjects is evident in The Spirit of the Water Lily (1861), a watercolor featuring a mystical, nymph-like figure amidst lily pads and blue drapery. This work, currently held at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, utilizes layered, translucent applications to define an ethereal presence. His focus on botanical forms continued with The Last Water Lilies in 1862 and Water Lily (also known as Lotus Leaves) from 1872.

The artist also utilized watercolor to capture specific lighting conditions, as seen in Water Lily in Sunlight (1881). This piece emphasizes the delicate nature of the subject through the medium's ability to settle into the paper. These various studies demonstrate a sustained preoccupation with the interplay of light, water, and floral life across several decades of his practice.