Still Life: Majolica with Wildflowers

Van Gogh's Still Life: Majolica with Wildflowers, painted at Arles in 1888 and now in the Barnes Foundation, combines the vivid pottery of southern France with a loose bouquet of wildflowers — an arrangement more spontaneous than the formal vase arrangements of his sunflower series. The majolica's colorful decorated surface adds a second layer of color interest alongside the flowers themselves. The Barnes Foundation holds one of the world's greatest collections of Post-Impressionist painting, and this still life can be seen there alongside major works by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse.

The majolica vase provides both a chromatic anchor and a patterned surface that adds visual interest to the composition. The wildflowers above are rendered with varied, spontaneous brushwork appropriate to their informal character. Van Gogh's Arles palette brings warm color to the whole, the decorative majolica and loose flowers creating an informal southern vitality.