The Contest for the Bouquet: The Family of Robert Gordon in Their New York Dining-Room

Seymour Joseph Guy

1866 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

English-born artist Guy settled in New York City in 1854. In this lively domestic scene, commissioned by the financier Robert Gordon, three children vie for a small corsage while a fourth seeks comfort in her mother’s lap. A founding trustee of The Met, Gordon collected American paintings, including contemporary landscapes, which he displayed in the dining room of his home at 7 West 33rd Street, depicted here. The furnishings conform to the fashionable Renaissance Revival style. The elaborately carved sideboard resembles an example by Alexander Roux on display in this gallery.

Artist

Seymour Joseph Guy

Date

1866

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Purchase, Gift of William E. Dodge, by exchange, and Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1992