Both a painter and a lithographer, Fantin-Latour is best-known for the luxurious floral still lifes of his mature period, as well as the realistic portraits that often include leading avant-garde artists and writers of his day. Fantin-Latour's early still lifes from the 1860sm as seen in this example, are elegant, intimate images that focus on a few objects used in the routine of daily life. His later floral arrangements brought him considerable success in England, due, in part, to the efforts of his close friend and fellow artist, James Abbott McNeill Whistler.