Pansies 1915

Charles Demuth rendered these 'Pansies' with delicate watercolors, capturing their velvety petals in a dance of purples, yellows, and whites. The pansy, derived from the French "pensée," meaning thought, has long been a symbol of remembrance and contemplation. Here, Demuth seems to imbue them with a more personal, perhaps melancholic, resonance. These blooms recall the memento mori tradition where flowers and skulls served to remind viewers of life’s transience. We see the pansy motif recurring through centuries, from Victorian love tokens to Ophelia's garland in Hamlet, each time carrying shades of memory and affection. Note how the soft, almost dissolving edges echo the fading nature of memory itself, a visual testament to the ephemeral quality of life, connecting us to the ancient human preoccupation with time and loss.