Red Basket of Zinnias 1915

William James Glackens made this riot of colour, Red Basket of Zinnias, using oil on canvas. He’s really gone for it with the colour, hasn't he? Building up this luscious surface with thick strokes of paint. It’s like he’s saying, “Let’s see what these colours can really DO!” Look at the way the warm hues of the zinnias pop against the cool blues and whites of the tablecloth, really drawing the eye in. The paint is so tactile, you can almost feel the texture of the petals and the weave of the basket. See how the background is not really background, but a continuation of the same brushstrokes and colours? The whole painting becomes a field of sensation. This piece reminds me a little of Bonnard, with its intimate subject matter, and its emphasis on colour and light. But Glackens brings his own distinctively American sensibility to it. It’s a celebration of seeing, feeling, and of the sheer joy of making marks on a surface. Art that’s not about answers, but about keeping the conversation going.