Still Life with a Cabbage 1920

Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac made this still life with a cabbage with oil paint, and it’s all about the making, the process. It’s like he’s wrestling with the mundane, trying to find something interesting in everyday objects. Check out the surface, the way the paint sits up, thick and crusty in places, especially around that cabbage. It's not about smooth blending, but about the physicality of the paint itself. You can almost feel the push and pull of the brush, the artist's hand moving across the canvas. I love how he's used these whites, creams and browns to create a sense of depth, even though the colors are so restrained. The folds in the white cloth in the foreground are particularly interesting, a series of rapid strokes that catch the light and add a bit of drama. It’s reminiscent of Cezanne, who also found endless fascination in simple still lifes. Both artists invite us to slow down and really look, to appreciate the beauty in the ordinary, the way light plays across a surface, the texture of a humble cabbage. It’s a reminder that art isn’t always about grand gestures; sometimes it’s about finding magic in the everyday.