Flowers in a Vase Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)

Description of the painting "Flowers in a Vase" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Floral still lifes are always in demand. Renoir’s list of works includes several canvases devoted to beautiful compositions with bunches of flowers. Drawing them, the author tried to convey the beauty of plants, and the color scheme of the picture gives a sense of calm and harmony with nature.

The main element of the painting are the flowers placed in a brown jug. The plants individually are not particularly luxurious in appearance and variety, but together the flowers look simply delightful. Ruffled green stems and leaves, the ends of which have light yellow highlights are the backdrop for the flower heads. In the central part, the green vegetation is darkened to create a sense of depth in the composition. The vegetation is diluted with small white flowers, probably daisies, symbolizing purity and chastity.

Near the daisies, yellow flower heads are added, giving the composition liveliness and brightness. In two places are beautiful blue flowers, perfectly in harmony with the light plants, but the combination with the bright red poppies is the most effective. The poppies in the three places of the bouquet are placed very successfully, their appearance on a dark background adds contrast to the element of the image. They seem to burn on the canvas, attracting the eye. The duo of red buds with cold blue-blue flowers sets the tone for the entire work.

The background is composed of darker shades of gray and green. The left corner of the canvas is practically black, but it shifts into a gentle gray toward the right corner. Thus, the right side of the background is considerably lighter than the left, giving an indication of the location of the natural light source. The flowers are placed in a modest brownish jug standing on a table covered by a soft green tablecloth with flecks of white and green.