Flowers in a Rococo Vase

Paul Cezanne

National Gallery of Art

Rose and coral pink, vivid white, delphinium blue, and buttercup yellow flowers with deep green leaves are arranged in a blue and white vase in front of a pale sea-green background in this vertical still life painting. The vase has a white cup on a flaring foot. The vase is encircled with a twisting, decorative blue vine and scrolls. It sits on a band of peanut brown, suggesting a wooden tabletop. The still life is painted with blended strokes, giving the composition a soft, almost mottled appearance. The artist signed the painting in the lower left corner, “Cezanne.”