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Violets

National Museum of African American History and Culture
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Object Details

Created by
Pauline Powell Burns, American, 1872 - 1912
Caption
At first glance, Pauline Powell Burns’s Violets appears to be a simple painting of fresh-cut flowers. During the Victorian era (1837–1901), however, flowers were assigned a wide range of meanings so that personal feelings and emotions could be expressed without having to say them aloud. The blue violet symbolized watchfulness, faithfulness, and love. Still lifes, particularly of flowers, were popular among 19th-century women artists, and Burns received notable recognition for her talent in this genre.
Born into a middle-class family, Burns was part of a small and vibrant African American cultural and religious community in Oakland, California. In addition to her accomplishments as a visual artist, she was a talented pianist, featured in numerous newspaper articles highlighting her concert appearances.
Description
This oil painting depicts a cluster of violets against a light gray surface and background. The violets are done is deep navy blues and purples, the blossoms lying in a jumbled heap amidst strands of greenery and a few green leaves. The pile of flowers lies on an off-white surface that gradually fades to grey shadows at the right most edge of the painting.
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
ca. 1890
Object number
2014.42.2ab
Restrictions & Rights
Public Domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Type
oil paintings
still lifes
Medium
oil paint on cardboard
Dimensions
H x W (unframed ): 10 3/4 × 12 3/8 in. (27.3 × 31.4 cm)
H x W x D (framed ): 12 3/8 × 16 5/8 × 1 in. (31.4 × 42.2 × 2.5 cm)
Place made
Oakland, Alameda County, California, United States, North and Central America
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Visual Arts
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Topic
African American
Agriculture
Art
Women
Record ID
nmaahc_2014.42.2ab
Metadata Usage (text)
CC0
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd56f68edb0-8d4b-401a-ae19-41b1005ab328

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  • Open Access Highlights

This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
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IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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