A Vase of Flowers
Paul Gauguin

1896
Signed and dated: P. Gauguin 96
Canvas, 64x74 cm

The painting was produced in Tahiti after Gauguin's final move from France, and sold by his friend Daniel de Monfried in 1898 to Degas, who was an early admirer od Gauguin's art.
Flower paintings were common among the works of the Post-Impressionists; Degas and Van Gogh are among the greatest exponents of the type.

The vase is decorated with only a pattern of gold lines and placed virtually in the center of the painting, on a wooden ledge where pink and red blooms have fallen.

The flowers form a relatively symmetrical pattern with broad blue leaves to each side of cream and red flowers.

The painting is enlivened by the varied handling of the background wall and the shelf, where the muted colours act as a foil to the exotic flowers that are the central subject of the painting.