The Silver Vase 1905

Lilla Cabot Perry made 'The Silver Vase' with oil on canvas, but we don’t know exactly when. Look at the way she's applied the paint in soft, hazy strokes. It’s like she's trying to capture a feeling more than a precise image. The colors here are muted – lots of grays, creams, and browns. It’s a subtle palette that creates a quiet mood. You can see how the light catches the folds of her robe, turning them into soft, shimmering forms. It’s as if she's trying to show us the world through a veil. Check out the way her hands cup the vase; there’s a tenderness there, a gentle holding of something precious. It’s this focus on the small, intimate gestures that makes the painting so compelling. Perry spent time in France, so you can definitely see the influence of Impressionism in this work, particularly in its soft, atmospheric quality. But I also think about how the American painter, James Whistler used a similar colour palette and similar subdued tones. In the end, art isn’t about answers, it’s about inviting us to pause and look closely, to consider the multiple, shifting ways we engage with the world.