Still Life with Bloaters 1886

Vincent van Gogh's "Still Life with Bloaters" (1886), a stark and symbolic oil painting, depicts a cluster of dried fish against a dark background. The fish, rendered in a palette of warm ochres and yellows, are meticulously detailed, capturing the texture of their scales and the subtle variations of light and shadow. This painting showcases van Gogh's signature impasto technique, thick layers of paint applied with visible brushstrokes, giving the image a vibrant and textured quality. While a simple subject matter, the composition speaks to themes of mortality and decay, characteristics present in many of van Gogh's artworks.