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Flowers in a bud vase frequently appear in the paintings of Fantin-Latour. The bud vase establishes the central vertical line in Lemon, Apples, and Tulips and seems to govern the entire structure. The tulips in this canvas, the natural embodiment of almost the same configuration, create an elegant formal echo: living forms are juxtaposed with the man-made objects that look like them.
The objects in this painting are placed in such a way as to heighten their beauty by means of comparison and contrast. The transparent is placed next to the opaque, glass next to metal. Such well-considered contrasts give the painting its special harmony, without being at all obstructive.