Vase with Carnations and Other Flowers

Van Gogh's Vase with Carnations and Other Flowers, painted in 1886 during his Paris period and now at the Kreeger Museum, belongs to his systematic exploration of different flower species as still-life subjects. Carnations — their distinctive frilly form and varied color range — provided material different in character from the smoother surfaces of roses or the bold faces of sunflowers. Paris gave Van Gogh access to the full range of French floral subjects, and his Paris flower paintings document his rapid chromatic development. The Kreeger Museum in Washington holds several significant European modern works.

The carnations are rendered with attention to their distinctive form — the fringed petals, the layered structure of the bloom. Van Gogh's Paris palette brings varied color to the composition, the carnations in their range of pinks, reds, and whites providing chromatic interest. His brushwork on the flowers is varied and energetic, capturing the specificity of the carnation form.