Still Life 1922

This still life was painted by Emil Carlsen, we don't know exactly when, but it's done in oil paint and on a small scale. The real pleasure here comes from looking closely at the way the paint has been applied. It's not about creating a perfect illusion, but about the sensuality of the medium. You can see how Carlsen has used different brushes and strokes to build up the forms. The background is all loose scumbles of earthy brown, and this makes the blue and white of the vase pop forward. I keep coming back to the brushstrokes that suggest the design on the vase. See how these bold, confident marks capture the essence of the pattern without getting bogged down in detail. And the little pops of yellow and purple in the bottles at the bottom, it's so good. This is reminiscent of some of Chardin's still lifes, where humble objects are transformed through careful observation and a love for the materiality of paint. It's a reminder that art is always a conversation across time.