Vase c. 1900

This is a vase by Max Laeuger, currently held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The vase strikes you first with its intense cobalt blue glaze, creating a deep, almost hypnotic field. Out of this field rise stylized floral forms. These are rendered in relief, the flowers in tones of ochre and yellow, the stems in a vibrant green, with a base of textured, darker green foliage. Laeuger's approach balances naturalistic representation with abstraction. The elongated stems and simplified flower shapes don't mimic nature exactly but suggest its forms through a constructed visual language. The colors, while derived from nature, are heightened, creating a sense of vibrancy and artificiality. This interplay challenges our perception by destabilizing the boundary between nature and artifice, inviting reflection on how art mediates our understanding of the natural world.