Daisies and Peonies in a Blue Vase

This 1876 flower still life was painted during Gauguin's early amateur period when he was studying the Impressionist technique through direct practice. Flower painting was a core training ground for Impressionists—Monet, Renoir, and Manet all used floral arrangements to explore pure colour relationships without the intellectual demands of figure or landscape composition. Gauguin's choice of daisies and peonies in a blue vase reflects this tradition, and the canvas shows him developing colour sensitivity and brushwork confidence. Now in a private collection, it documents the serious commitment behind what was still officially a hobby alongside his brokerage career.

The loosely handled flower mass is built through directional strokes of varied warm whites, pinks, and reds against the cooler blue of the vase, demonstrating early control of simultaneous contrast. The background treatment remains relatively neutral to emphasise the floral subject.