Magnoliatakken 1887 - 1947

This still life of magnolias by Frans Everbag features delicate white blooms against a muted, grey backdrop. I can imagine Everbag carefully mixing his colours, probably using oil or tempera, trying to get those whites just right. It’s a quiet scene, full of subtle observation. Those flowers! Each petal seems to have its own unique shape and texture. I wonder if he worked from life, or memory, or both? Maybe he returned to it each day as the flowers slowly opened and unfurled. Did he struggle with the composition, shifting the vase this way and that? Did he feel satisfied when he finally put his brush down? The whole thing reminds me of other artists, like Manet or Fantin-Latour, who also captured the fleeting beauty of flowers. We’re all looking at the same things, just seeing them in different ways. It’s like one big conversation that stretches across time. Painting is so cool.