Big Still Life with Flowers 1937

Kmetty János made this ‘Big Still Life with Flowers’ with oil paint, at an unknown date. The painting has a kind of casual, blocky feel, like a Sunday painter just having a go. Looking at the surface, the paint is laid on pretty thick, you can see the marks where the brush has been dragged across the canvas, especially on that bright yellow table. The blue of the walls and vase feels almost chalky, and contrasts with the brighter oranges and yellows of the other objects. It gives the painting a kind of muted, dreamlike vibe. I keep coming back to that little yellow apple. It's just sitting there, this tiny, cheerful accent amidst all the blues and pinks. This feels like a conversation with someone like Morandi, who also made a career out of painting humble, everyday objects, but János brings his own slightly wonky, charming voice to the conversation. There’s a real sense of freedom, an embracing of the accidental, that makes it so appealing.