The evolution of this painting was inspired by Gertrude Stein’s poetic line “A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.” For centuries, a rose in a still life was rarely just a flower; it was a memento mori symbolizing the fleeting nature of beauty, vanity, or romantic love. By repeating the word, Stein drained the rose of this historical baggage, returning it to its pure, essential "rose-ness." The connection between the metaphorical rose and still life lies in the dismantling of symbolism and the focus on the objects themselves.

The background text is from a 1940s edition of an encyclopedia entry about Pliny, the ancient botanist and philosopher. The map fragments come from the state of Louisiana to reflect the LGBTQ rights movement there which later became the Gertrude Stein Society.

Acrylic on canvas

Size: 36 × 24 x 1½ inches

Price: $2300