Interior 1884

This evocative interior was painted by Paul Gauguin, capturing a moment of domestic life. The flowers, bursting from their vase, command our attention. Flowers, of course, are hardly new to art. But consider their symbolic weight, from ancient Roman garlands to the still-life paintings of the Dutch Golden Age. They've been used to represent life, death, beauty, and even decay. Here, these blossoms, somewhat congested, almost seem to be pushing back from the table in a Freudian dance of the subconscious. It is not unreasonable to suggest Gauguin is hinting at more than mere decoration. Note the man, partially obscured in the background, and the child at the piano; is he suggesting the beauty and brevity of life set against the ever present weight of family life? The flowers are not merely observed; they are felt. We are all drawn into this theatre of memory and emotion, an ongoing cycle of art mirroring life, life influencing art.