A truly moody and beautiful antique floral still life, oil on academy board, with the kind of deep dark ground and luminous pink flowers that makes Victorian florals so beloved. The back features the original “ACADEMY BOARDS” label from Janentzky & Co., 128 South Eleventh Street, Philadelphia, an art supplier active in the late 1800s, dating this piece firmly to circa 1880s-1900. Academy boards were the preferred surface for serious painters and students of the period, so the skilled brushwork here suggests an accomplished artist. Edge wear and minor chipping consistent with 125+ years of age. The romantic dark florals trend has nothing on the real thing.
