“The Sunflowers,” created by Georges Braque in 1943 in France, is an oil on canvas exemplifying the Expressionist movement, with the central focus on a flower painting genre. This artwork emanates with the life and vibrancy synonymous with the Expressionist approach, wherein the emotional experience supersedes an accurate representation of reality.
The artwork depicts a bouquet of sunflowers which are the central motif. Expressive and bold brushstrokes dominate the canvas, imparting texture and a sense of movement to the flowers and the background. The palette is rich with yellows and golds, synonymous with the warm hues of sunflowers. Darker tones intermingle, providing contrast and depth to the sunflower heads and their seeds. The green leaves and blue accents suggest the foliage’s vitality, further enriching the composition. Meanwhile, the background, with its contrasting brushwork, pushes the sunflowers to the forefront, making them the undisputed stars of the artwork. Braque’s style is evident in the applied paint’s boldness and the abstract quality he bestows upon familiar subjects, aligning with Expressionist aims to evoke emotional responses rather than to represent reality faithfully.