Pierre-nicolas Euler (1846-1915), Bouquet Of Flowers

Signed lower right. With frame. Oil on canvas.

This painting by Pierre-Nicolas Euler presents a country bouquet in a decorated earthenware pitcher, placed on a table covered with an ochre cloth. The flowers, mainly white daisies and cornflowers, spring forth naturally, some falling onto the table. The composition, dynamic and luminous, highlights the freshness and spontaneity of the bouquet. The neutral brown background brings out the liveliness of the colors. Euler demonstrates here his technical virtuosity and his sense of harmony, offering a vibrant still life, imbued with poetry and realism.

Pierre-Nicolas Euler is a Lyon-based painter who specializes in floral subjects. He entered the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Lyon in 1860, enrolling in the flower-painting class led by Jean-Marie Reignier, under whom he studied from 1860 to 1865. Although the son of a foreigner, he was admitted by an exceptional decree of the Rhône prefecture.

He soon distinguished himself there through a boldness and dexterity that at times even surpassed those of his master. He began exhibiting in Lyon as early as 1872 and in Paris from 1895 onward. After a period in Paris during which he opened a drawing studio, he returned to Lyon at the end of the 19th century to devote himself exclusively to floral painting.

His style—initially criticized as overly “theatrical” and “gaudy”—ultimately won acclaim for its mastery of light, its sense of composition, and the originality of his palette?knife technique. Among his favorite subjects are violets, peonies, and roses. He preferred to paint bouquets against neutral backgrounds, playing with lighting effects and “tone builds” to exalt the very texture of the flowers. Works such as "The Violet Season" and "The Buttercup Season" were shown at both Lyon and Paris Salons, where he earned several awards, including a medal in 1895 and a Salon medal in 1904.

A founding member of the Société Lyonnaise des Beaux-Arts, he played an active role there, serving for many years on its committee. He was also known as an industrial draftsman—a profession he practiced in Paris before dedicating himself entirely to art.
According to his friend Louis Rogniat, “He painted with the same zest and talent until his very last day.”