Flowers in a Vase with one Handle 1905

Odilon Redon painted "Flowers in a Vase with one Handle" sometime before his death in 1916, and I love how he didn't try to make it too perfect. The flowers burst out, all these different colors—red, yellow, blue—against this kind of hazy, neutral background. It’s not photoreal, you know? More about feeling than seeing. And look at the vase! It’s got this kind of rough, homemade feel. Redon wasn't trying to hide the brushstrokes. You can see how he built up the paint, layer by layer. The way he dabs and swirls the colors, it almost feels like the flowers are breathing. There’s a bit on the left with a small white flower amongst the foliage, and it is so loose and free it feels like it might blow off the canvas. Redon reminds me of Guston in a way— both these guys weren't afraid to get messy, to let their emotions guide their hand. It’s like they’re saying, “Hey, art is a process, not a product.” And that’s something I can really get behind.