Large floral painting by American artist Lowell Nesbitt, executed in 1978 in oil tempera on board. Measuring over five feet tall, this beautiful composition exemplifies the bold scale and vibrant color that made Nesbitt one of the most recognizable botanical painters of the late twentieth century.
The work presents two enlarged roses rendered with Nesbitt’s signature precision and dramatic chromatic intensity. Layers of magenta, violet, blue, and green unfold across the petals, while rhythmic graphic contours create a sense of movement surrounding the bloom. The dynamic background pattern amplifies the scale of the flower, transforming a natural subject into a powerful modern composition that sits between photorealism and pop-inflected abstraction.
Beginning in the 1960s, Nesbitt became widely known for his monumental botanical paintings, which quickly captured the attention of the American art world. His breakthrough exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 1964 established him as one of the leading artists working with large scale floral imagery. These works would become his most iconic and collected subject matter. During the 1970s, Nesbitt worked out of his famed West 12th Street New York studio known as “The Old Stable,” a massive 12,500 square foot creative compound that became a gathering place for leading figures of the era. Visitors included Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Indiana, Jasper Johns, Robert Motherwell, Larry Rivers, and James Rosenquist.
Nesbitt’s influence extended far beyond the gallery world. In 1980 the United States Postal Service issued a series of four stamps based on his floral paintings, and he was selected as the official artist documenting NASA’s Apollo 9 and Apollo 13 missions.
Today, Nesbitt’s works are held in major museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Smithsonian Institution. Large scale botanical paintings from the 1970s remain among the most sought after works from his career.
Artist: Lowell Blair Nesbitt (American, 1933–1993)
Year: 1978
Medium: Tempera on board
Dimensions: 60.5 H × 40.5 W inches
Movement: Photorealism / Pop Art /
Frame: Metal frame
Condition: Colors remain vibrant and surface presents beautifully. Minimal age appropriate wear consistent with the work’s age. Please see photos for details.
Large floral painting by American artist Lowell Nesbitt, executed in 1978 in oil tempera on board. Measuring over five feet tall, this beautiful composition exemplifies the bold scale and vibrant color that made Nesbitt one of the most recognizable botanical painters of the late twentieth century.
The work presents two enlarged roses rendered with Nesbitt’s signature precision and dramatic chromatic intensity. Layers of magenta, violet, blue, and green unfold across the petals, while rhythmic graphic contours create a sense of movement surrounding the bloom. The dynamic background pattern amplifies the scale of the flower, transforming a natural subject into a powerful modern composition that sits between photorealism and pop-inflected abstraction.
Beginning in the 1960s, Nesbitt became widely known for his monumental botanical paintings, which quickly captured the attention of the American art world. His breakthrough exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 1964 established him as one of the leading artists working with large scale floral imagery. These works would become his most iconic and collected subject matter. During the 1970s, Nesbitt worked out of his famed West 12th Street New York studio known as “The Old Stable,” a massive 12,500 square foot creative compound that became a gathering place for leading figures of the era. Visitors included Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Indiana, Jasper Johns, Robert Motherwell, Larry Rivers, and James Rosenquist.
Nesbitt’s influence extended far beyond the gallery world. In 1980 the United States Postal Service issued a series of four stamps based on his floral paintings, and he was selected as the official artist documenting NASA’s Apollo 9 and Apollo 13 missions.
Today, Nesbitt’s works are held in major museum collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Smithsonian Institution. Large scale botanical paintings from the 1970s remain among the most sought after works from his career.
Artist: Lowell Blair Nesbitt (American, 1933–1993)
Year: 1978
Medium: Tempera on board
Dimensions: 60.5 H × 40.5 W inches
Movement: Photorealism / Pop Art /
Frame: Metal frame
Condition: Colors remain vibrant and surface presents beautifully. Minimal age appropriate wear consistent with the work’s age. Please see photos for details.
