Jar c. 1937 - 1938

Yolande Delasser made this painting of a jar, probably with gouache, and definitely with a sense of humor. I mean, look at that jar floating above the table! It’s like she’s saying, “Hey, painting is about making things up, not copying stuff.” I wonder if she was having a conversation with Matisse, who also loved to flatten space and play with patterns. Delasser probably had a similar love of everyday objects, elevating them through the act of painting. And that big, bold flower! Those swirly lines – they’re almost like a dance, aren’t they? I bet she was really feeling it when she made those marks. She fearlessly repeated the flower motif, echoing the jar’s design. The cool-toned palette of blue and brown is balanced by the lively composition. Artists are always talking to each other, across time and space. Delasser's painting reminds us that art is a conversation, an ongoing experiment in seeing and feeling the world.