Wessel, Herman H. (American, 1878-1969) 2 American artists

The composition presents a still life arrangement centered around a glass vase brimming with flowers. The blooms predominantly consist of white and deep crimson varieties, punctuated by a few darker red blossoms that rise above the others. These are arranged against a backdrop of muted ochre and brown tones, suggesting an interior wall or curtain. A table surface, rendered in similar earthy hues, provides the base for the vase.
The artist’s handling of light is notable; it illuminates the flowers from an unseen source, creating highlights on their petals and reflecting within the glass vessel. This interplay of light and shadow contributes to a sense of volume and tactility. The brushwork appears loose and expressive, particularly in the rendering of the background, which lacks sharp definition and instead relies on subtle tonal shifts to suggest form.
The arrangement itself seems deliberately unbalanced; the flowers are densely packed within the vase, creating an impression of abundance and perhaps even a slight sense of precariousness. This asymmetry is mirrored by the composition as a whole, where the blooms occupy nearly all available space, pushing against the edges of the frame. The dark red blossoms reaching upwards introduce a verticality that contrasts with the horizontal plane of the table.
Subtly, the painting evokes themes of transience and beauty. Flowers, inherently ephemeral, are captured in a moment of vibrant life, yet their inherent fragility is implied by the loose brushwork and the suggestion of decay lurking beneath the surface of perfection. The muted background colors contribute to this melancholic undertone, creating an atmosphere that is both serene and subtly poignant. The choice of deep reds alongside the whites could be interpreted as representing passion tempered by restraint or a symbolic interplay between life and death.