“Rose and Sweet Pea,” an oil on canvas artwork by Lucian Freud created circa 1947, belongs to the Surrealism art movement and falls within the flower painting genre. The artwork intricately depicts a solitary red rose standing upright on a slender stem with two leaves. The petals of the rose exhibit a rich, deep red hue with subtle variations, creating a sense of depth and realism. Below the rose lies a sweet pea pod, meticulously rendered with a green, textured surface, and resting on a flat, cool-toned surface. The background features a gradient of blues, transitioning from a lighter shade at the bottom to a darker, more intense blue at the top, providing a striking contrast to the more vibrant colors of the rose and sweet pea. The overall composition exudes a sense of stillness and contemplation, characteristic of Freud’s early works influenced by Surrealism.
