Flowers in a Vase c. 1910

This painting, Flowers in a Vase, by Odilon Redon, is a still life that immediately strikes you with its vibrant yet delicate composition, full of vivid colours and soft textures. The arrangement of the flowers is built upon a structure of contrasting colours and shapes, with the blues and whites of the daisies and cornflowers set against the warmer reds and yellows. The vase itself is painted with a mottled texture, suggesting the play of light across its surface. The artist plays with perspective, flattening the depth to bring the flowers forward, almost as if they are emerging from the canvas. Redon's choice of such vivid colours and dynamic composition could be interpreted as an attempt to subvert traditional still life conventions. Rather than a mere representation of nature, the painting is a field of signs and cultural codes that invite us to reflect on the very nature of representation itself. Consider how Redon destabilizes the established meanings of the floral still life by injecting it with an abstract quality.