Flowers 1948

Harry Shoulberg’s color print of flowers hums with flat shapes and a cool palette. I imagine Shoulberg, wrestling with what to leave in and what to take out, like all of us painters do, trying to find that fine line between too much and just enough. See how he carves out simplified forms with confident marks. The petals of the yellow and blue flowers aren’t fussy but geometric, almost architectural, emerging from the dark ground. The table feels precarious, but the flowers are strongly centered. What a beautiful balancing act. I love the way Shoulberg uses color to create depth and atmosphere, how the teal background and muted greys give the work a contemplative mood. There's a kinship here with Milton Avery, in the spirit of simplification and a love of color, and maybe a nod to Matisse in the cut-out-like shapes. Painting is a conversation, a dialogue across generations. Shoulberg reminds us that even in stillness, like a vase of flowers, there’s room for experimentation.