The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 18, 2026

Graphite on vertically oriented off-white paper outlines a dense, vertical cluster of botanical specimens. Thin stalks support delicate clusters of blossoms at the top. Long, blade-like leaves arch through the center, overlapping lobed foliage and hanging fruit on the right. Detailed, fine lines create texture throughout the composition. Small cursive text appears in the lower-left corner below the flowers anchoring the base of the arrangement.

Plant Study

1857

Eugene Bléry

(French, 1805–1886)
France, 19th century
graphite
Sheet: 41.7 x 30.6 cm (16 7/16 x 12 1/16 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1988.148
Location: Not on view

Description

In addition to his landscapes, Bléry also produced closely focused botanical studies gracefully composed with an acute realization of species. Although he did not work alongside the artists of the Barbizon school, Bléry’s plant portraits are related to the aesthetic of Barbizon naturalism.
  • [Richard Reed Armstrong Fine Art, Chicago]
  • Nature Sublime: Landscapes from the 19th Century. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 15-November 14, 2004).
    Cleveland, Ohio: The Cleveland Museum of Art; 8/15/04-11/14/04. "Nature Sublime: Landscapes from the 19th Century". No exhibition catalogue.
    The Year in Review for 1988. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 1-May 14, 1989).
    CMA, The Year in Review for 1988 (Feb. 24-Apr. 17, 1989), CMA Bulletin 76 (1989), p. 72 no. 148.
  • {{cite web|title=Plant Study|url=false|author=Eugene Bléry|year=1857|access-date=18 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1988.148