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Dramatically arranged and colorful bouquet of flowers, including tulips and roses, set on gray background and rendered in a realist style. The artist's background in fine art and tapestry design is evident in the striking three-dimensionality of the forms as revealed by the play of light and shadow, which is unlike the flat, evenly lit approach favored by scientifically-oriented botanical artists.
Chabal-Dussurgey was a French painter, printmaker, designer and teacher. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Lyon and adopted the name 'Dussurgey' in 1839, when he exhibited at his first Salon-then the preeminent art exhibition in France. In 1847, he received a prestigious gold medal at the Salon. He designed tapestries for the Gobelins and the Beauvais Manufactory from 1850 to 1855 and taught at both for 20 years. His work was very popular during his lifetime. He also designed furnishings for the apartments of Empress Eugènie and produced floral mural decorations for the foyer of the Thætre-Français in Paris (1864).
Reference:
"Pierre-Adrien Chabal-Dussurgey." The Grove Dictionary of Art. 2000. Online at Artnet.com.http://www.artnet.com/library/01/0156/T015659.asp.