Flowers in three vases 1879

Curator: Today, we’re looking at Albert Dubois-Pillet’s "Flowers in three vases", an oil painting from 1879. The setting appears to be outdoors, characteristic of his *plein-air* approach to painting. Editor: My immediate impression is one of contained exuberance. The dark background really makes the bouquets pop, almost like they're straining to break free from the vases. Curator: Precisely! Dubois-Pillet painted this during a transitional time. Though he exhibited with the Impressionists, and his work aligns with their color experimentation, it has the composed sensibility we find in romanticism. Consider that as a military officer stationed in remote locations, finding camaraderie with fellow artists may have impacted his career choices and opportunities to exhibit more widely, influencing how his work was seen, especially considering his controversial social politics. Editor: Absolutely. I think seeing Dubois-Pillet outside Parisian circles complicates any easy label. The sheer density of the flowers feels deliberate too, pushing back at social mores. Flowers are always feminine objects, but he loads these arrangements with pigment and volume, a really assertive gesture. There's an inherent challenge in defining Dubois-Pillet within conventional narratives, particularly when examining his contributions and intersections across varying art movements and stylistic categorizations. Curator: The muted tones also depart from conventional notions of domestic floral art. I notice the interplay between the cultivation of flowers as feminine pursuit but presented without clear social expectations. The blooms don't need a dining table; they simply exist in an ambiguous area. He's using that tension in social representation. The lack of clarity asks viewers to reckon with broader conventions of identity, and our notions of what still-life and domestic arrangements signify. Editor: Agreed, he seems very much involved with the post-impressionistic search for authentic experience through visible texture and heightened color – it’s definitely there but not conventionally so. The choice of what vessels hold the flowers intrigues me. I keep wondering about the symbolism implied through their presentation. It’s more than just decorative arrangement. Curator: Well, it all comes back to the power dynamics inherent in art production and reception, right? To explore how shifting contexts shape artistic visibility and interpretations. Editor: Right, it also invites consideration around identity, gender, and race which ultimately adds enriching layers that expand our understanding beyond just an aesthetic pleasure. Curator: These considerations have changed how I view this oil painting now. Editor: It certainly adds depth and nuance to the experience!