Glazen vaasje met rode Dahlia 1867 - 1935

Maurits van der Valk made this little watercolor of a dahlia in a glass vase, but I don't know when. What’s cool is how he uses the see-through quality of the paint to make the vase look, well, glassy! See how the red of the flower kinda vibrates against the muted green of the stem and vase? It feels delicate and punchy at the same time. And check out the way he’s handled the petals – loose, free, like he’s letting the watercolor do its own thing. There's a feeling of spontaneity, like he painted it in one breath, which I love. The way Van der Valk captures light and color reminds me a bit of Fantin-Latour, who also painted a lot of flower pictures. Both artists really understood how to make simple, everyday subjects feel special and alive. It's a reminder that art isn't about perfection, but about feeling and seeing the world in new ways.