Flowers. Blue Iris, Oranges and Lemon
- Original dimensions
- 62.9 x 43.2 cm
- Museum
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston
- Year
- 1894
Scene depicted
This painting , vibrant with colors and life, evokes a lush nature filled with sweetness and serenity. The blue irises intertwine with oranges and lemons, creating a composition that celebrates the marriage of light and shadows. The canvas serves as a tribute to the ephemeral beauty of nature, a symbol of joy and vitality.
Historical context
Created in 1894, this painting is emblematic of Paul Gauguin and is part of the synthetist movement, renowned for its quest for a harmonious expression of emotions through colors and shapes. In the heart of Boston, at the Museum of Fine Arts, this canvas witnessed a time when art was emancipating itself from traditions to embrace intuition.
Place in the artist's career
Flowers. Blue Iris, Oranges and Lemon represents a landmark in Gauguin's career. Entangled between his promising beginnings and his later works, this painting shares the stage with pieces like “Vision After the Sermon” and “The Night.” Each piece testifies to the evolution of his technique and his quest for unprecedented emotional depth.
Anecdote
“Art is a materialized emotion,” Gauguin said as he painted this masterpiece in the effervescence of a radiant spring. That morning, his life was illuminated by the sweet scent of irises and citrus, somewhere between dream and reality.