Blumen in Landschaft 1928

Andre Bauchant’s “Blumen in Landschaft” is an oil on canvas, and its making feels like the work of a careful hand and an imaginative eye. You see the flowers arranged in a vase with three openings, but they are also framing a vision of landscape beyond. I can imagine Bauchant, thinking about the great tradition of flower painting while also opening up new ways of seeing a very classical theme. I wonder if he felt like he was re-inventing this tradition? The paint is evenly applied and the marks are quite controlled, but this control makes space for a really interesting, almost fantastical composition. The flowers are arranged symmetrically and are very precisely rendered, a real contrast with the looser handling of the landscape in the background. For me, this piece opens up a conversation about the nature of observation and imagination. It also reminds me that artists are always in dialogue, building upon and responding to the work of those who came before.