Still Life with l'Esperance 1901

Paul Gauguin made this painting, Still Life with l'Esperance, with oil paint on canvas, though the year remains a mystery. The deep reds and browns are almost claustrophobic, like the painting is swallowing its subject, these wilting sunflowers in their thick blue vase. There are paintings within paintings! I love the thick impasto of the vase, especially how it makes these weird, almost cartoonish figures stand out. Gauguin’s brushwork is so expressive here, the way he lets the paint drip and smudge, nothing is precious. It’s like he’s saying, “Here’s the mess, deal with it.” Look how the petals droop with a sort of heavy-hearted resignation. It reminds me a bit of Van Gogh’s sunflowers, but dirtier, sadder. Like the party’s over. Anyway, Gauguin’s all about these messy feelings, questioning what is is we see. There’s no right or wrong here, it’s about feeling the painting.