Basket of Flowers 1907

Editor: Leopoldine Kolbe's "Basket of Flowers", a woodblock print from 1907 currently residing at the Met. There is a beautiful simplicity to this decorative work. I get a charming almost fairytale-like quality, like something from a child’s book, perhaps because of the stylised design and block colours. How would you interpret it? Curator: Fairytale-like, yes, I get that! There is an element of idealized simplicity which taps into the core of art nouveau's desire to reconnect with nature, though without, maybe, the darker more emotional undertones often seen in that movement. Notice how the geometric basket design contrasts beautifully with the flowing, organic shapes of the flowers. Makes you wonder if Kolbe aimed for that juxtaposition. It's like a carefully orchestrated garden in a confined space, but is that space actually liberating? What do you feel about this tension? Editor: I had not picked up on the tension initially, but I do get what you mean – there’s something restrictive about the frame, containing the freedom of nature inside it, doesn’t really offer the viewer’s eyes anywhere to escape! It creates a kind of symbolic push and pull! Curator: Precisely. A bit like containing a dream, isn't it? The dark backdrop makes those soft, hopeful colours sing even more, drawing attention to the possibility of vibrancy within restriction, that even though this work adheres to the formal stylisation and framing conventions of its time, something untamed might live beneath the surface. Do you find yourself wanting to release those blooms somehow, Editor? Editor: You know, I hadn’t thought about it that way, but yes, a bit! Almost as though, through simplifying, she amplified! What an intriguing piece! Curator: Exactly. A simple gesture blooming into layers of possible meanings. Which, at its core, is maybe, the magic of art!