Jonathan Anderson borrowed this painting for the Dior SS26 show — and now you can see it for free back at its home in Edinburgh
After making a cameo at one of the most talked-about shows of the season, this quiet little floral icon is back on home turf.
Jean-Baptiste Siméon Chardin’s A Vase of Flowers has returned to the National Galleries Scotland: National in Edinburgh, fresh from the runway at Dior’s Spring/Summer 2026 menswear show in Paris. The painting — soft, moody, and hypnotically still — was hand-picked by Jonathan Anderson for his first collection as Dior’s new Creative Director.
Anderson’s debut was all about finding beauty in the ordinary. In that sense, Chardin — the 18th-century artist best known for making everyday objects feel quietly transcendent — was the perfect match. While models wore precision-cut tailoring and sculptural silhouettes, A Vase of Flowers set the tone for a show that felt both grounded and emotional. The contrast worked — and, naturally, the front row was stacked with Dior loyalists and fashion’s elite.
Now, with the buzz of Fashion Week settling, the painting is back on the walls of the National Galleries Scotland, where you can see it for free — no invitation required.
Find National Galleries Scotland at National, The Mound, Edinburgh or visit nationalgalleries.org.
