Corydalis 1901 - 1909

This is Anna Syberg’s Corydalis, at the SMK. I love the painting’s quiet palette of browns, purples, and greens, and the window light casting a soft glow. I can imagine Anna Syberg in her studio, arranging the flowers just so, then stepping back, squinting, and mixing her colors on the palette. The paint looks buttery and thick in places, particularly in the blooms of the corydalis, giving them a luscious texture. That simple arrangement of objects on the table--the bowl, the lace--it looks so unassuming. The whole painting looks domestic, like a cozy corner of a home, a lived-in space. And then, the light. It’s almost like she’s capturing a fleeting moment, the way the sunlight streams in through the window, illuminating the flowers. I feel like it is calling back to the still lives of other artists. And that’s what painting is, right? One painter answering another.