Chrysanthemums

Artist Paul Berthon (French, 1872 - 1909)

Date1899

MediumColor lithographed decorative panel

DimensionsImage: 20 1/4 x 15 3/8 inches (51.44 x 39.05 cm)
Sheet: 25 9/16 x 19 5/8 inches (64.93 x 49.85 cm)

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. George C. Dillon

Object numberF91-13/1

On View

On view

Gallery Location

Collections

Prints

Terms

Exhibition History

The Feminine Mystique: Portraits of and by Women, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, March 27-October 8, 2006, no cat., as Chrysanthemums.

The Feminine Mystique: Portraits of and by Women, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, February 9-August 12, 2013, no cat., as Chrysanthemums.

Reflections of Nature: Monet’s Water Lilies and Art Nouveau, part of the series Monet in Conversation, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, May 2, 2026–May 2, 2027, no cat.

Gallery Label

A woman rests among blooming chrysanthemums, her figure blending seamlessly with the swirling petals around her. Paul Berthon uses warm, autumnal colors and flowing lines to heighten the work’s dreamy atmosphere and connect the body to the natural world. Ethereal moods and connection to nature are both hallmarks of Art Nouveau design.

Similar qualities appear in Monet’s Water Lilies, where reflections, shifting light, and soft color cause water and plant life to intermingle.

Provenance

George Chaffee (1922-2013) and Joan (née Kent, 1925-2009) Dillon, North Chatham, MA, by April 15, 1991;

Given by George Chaffee and Joan Kent Dillon to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, 1991.

Published References

Victor Arwas, Berthon and Grasset (London: Academy Editions, 1978), no. 31 2A/2.

George L. McKenna, Prints, 1460-1995 (Kansas City, MO: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 1996), 295, (repro.), as Chrysanthemums.

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