The artwork “Basket of Flowers” is a creation of the artist Paul Gauguin, completed in the year 1884. The piece is located in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, situated in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Crafted with oil on canvas, it is an exemplar of the Impressionism movement, categorically belonging to the genre of still life.
In the artwork, one can observe a wicker basket filled with an array of flowers, predominantly in shades of pink, with some blooms exhibiting hints of purple and red. The vivaciousness of the petals stands in contrast against the muted, less defined background, where vertical and horizontal strokes of blues and greens suggest a simplistic, perhaps indoor setting. To the right of the basket, we see what appears to be a piece of white fabric, its folds lightly defined, adding a textural difference to the composition. The brushwork is loose and expressive, a hallmark of Impressionist technique, aiming to capture the fleeting effects of light and color rather than meticulous detail. The palette is rich yet naturalistic, embracing the vibrant hues of the blooms against the more subdued tones of the surroundings, creating a sense of depth and dimensionality. The arrangement suggests a casual, almost spontaneous placement, which along with the dynamic brushstrokes imbues the painting with a sense of immediacy and life.
