Nasturtiums and Dahlias in a Basket

Painted in 1884, this still life of nasturtiums and dahlias arranged in a basket belongs to Gauguin's exploration of flower subjects under Impressionist influence during the early 1880s. The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo holds this canvas. Gauguin painted numerous flower studies during this period, using them as exercises in colour observation and compositional arrangement. The choice of nasturtiums — intensely coloured orange and yellow blooms — reflects his developing interest in strong chromatic relationships.

The flowers are painted with fresh, direct brushwork that records the varied colours of nasturtiums and dahlias without over-elaborating their botanical detail. The basket provides a warm, woven ground for the colourful blooms. The palette is relatively naturalistic but shows Gauguin's eye for strong colour complementarity — the warm oranges and yellows of the nasturtiums particularly vivid against surrounding greens.