Field flowers 1916

Tadeusz Makowski made this painting of ‘Field Flowers’ with oil on canvas and a warm, muted palette. It feels very process oriented to me, like he built up the image gradually through layers and layers of paint, decisions made and changed. I love the materiality of the paint. It is neither thick nor thin, but built up through many thin layers of colour that create a gentle texture on the surface of the canvas. Look closely at the vase, it's a dark, earthy brown, roughly rendered with horizontal bands suggesting its shape and form. The brushstrokes are visible, giving the vase a tactile quality, as if you could reach out and feel the grooves of the pottery. This dark colour really makes the delicate colours of the flowers and grasses pop. Makowski’s painting reminds me of Morandi's still life paintings, with their muted tones and focus on simple forms. Makowski and Morandi both invite us to slow down and appreciate the beauty of everyday objects. The painting offers us a quiet moment of contemplation.