still life with egg 1915 Exter

The composition presents a fragmented still life, rendered in a palette dominated by cool tones – grays, blues, and blacks – punctuated by areas of red and yellow. The objects are not arranged in a conventional manner; instead, they appear fractured and reassembled across the picture plane. A cluster of what seem to be eggs occupies the upper left quadrant, their forms simplified into ovoid shapes. Adjacent to them is a circular form rendered in a vibrant red, which draws immediate attention.
Below this grouping, a shallow dish holds several more eggs, depicted with similar abstraction. The objects are not presented from a single viewpoint; instead, multiple perspectives seem simultaneously visible. This creates a sense of disorientation and challenges the viewer’s perception of spatial relationships. A collection of tools – brushes, palettes, and what appears to be a small container – are clustered in the lower portion of the canvas. These instruments suggest an artistic process, hinting at the creation of the very image we are observing.
The background is equally fragmented, composed of intersecting planes and geometric shapes that further disrupt any sense of depth or perspective. The artist employed a limited range of colors, but used them to create a complex interplay of light and shadow. The brushwork appears loose and expressive, contributing to the overall feeling of dynamism and instability.
Subtly, there’s an underlying tension between order and chaos. While geometric forms provide structure, their arrangement is deliberately jarring, preventing any sense of resolution or harmony. The inclusion of artistic tools suggests a self-reflexive commentary on the nature of representation itself – a questioning of how we perceive and depict reality. The work seems to explore the breakdown of traditional perspective and the fragmentation of experience, possibly reflecting anxieties prevalent during its creation.