Bouquet of iris, arum, tulips in a vase by André Metthey

Bouquet of Iris, Arum, Tulips in a Vase by André Metthey is an unusual still life by Signac, departing from his predominantly landscape and maritime subjects to paint an elaborate floral arrangement in a ceramic vase by the potter André Metthey. Metthey was associated with the Fauvist circle and produced colourful ceramics for several avant-garde painters. Signac's choice of a Metthey vase signals his ongoing connections with the younger generation of colourists in early twentieth-century Paris.

The floral subject allows Signac to deploy vivid pure colours — the yellows of irises, whites of arum lilies, reds and purples of tulips — in a compact, jewel-like composition. His mosaic technique adapts naturally to the varied petal forms and translucent ceramic glaze of the Metthey vessel.