Impressionistic  painting with a vase of roses was executed by good listed French painter François Vernay, pseudonym of Francis Miel (1821 - Lyon - 1896).

His work began after graduating from the florist class at the École des Beaux-Arts de Lyon in 1844. Vernay became a designer[2] of floral decorations for the silk industry in Lyon. It was undoubtedly his meeting with François-Auguste Ravier in 1850 that profoundly influenced his artistic style. He quickly began to alternate between flower and landscape painting. He abandoned his dark palette, and color began to appear in his work. From 1865, he turned to still lifes of flowers and fruit.

His drawings foreshadowed the bold movements of Expressionism and Fauvism to come.

Solitary and unknown, François Vernay lived in poverty. After a fall in his studio, he broke his femur and died at the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital in Lyon.

A street in the 5th arrondissement of Lyon bears his name.

For results of other flower works by Vernay see our last 4 images.

Works: museums: Bagnols sur Ćeze(museum Albert Andre); Lyon, Grenoble and Paris, Orsey.

Literature: In French: Bénézit, artist lexicon;  Henri Béraud, François Vernay peintre lyonnais, Lyon, Éditions de l'Art Libre, 1909; Francois Vernay, Dominique Brachlianoff, Patrice Steffan, [catalogue de l'exposition au musée des beaux-arts de Lyon du 23 septembre-19 décembre 1999], 1999; French Wikipedia in on-line.

Inscription: signed lower right ( fully identical sample of signature is in online date bank artprice.com).

Technique: oil on wood, luxuriousy gilt French frame of 19th century.

Measurements unframed (26,5;x 36 cm), framed (50 x 59,5 cm).

Condition: very good.