Anemones 1929

Zygmunt Waliszewski made this painting, Anemones, with oil on canvas. Just imagine Waliszewski standing here, looking at these gorgeous flowers, maybe brought in from the garden. There's a real tenderness here, isn't there? See how the brushstrokes give a certain weight to the petals, they kind of quiver on the canvas. The paint is thin, it’s been pulled and pushed around the canvas, and he's not trying to hide anything. Those reds, blues, and yellows against the muted browns and pinks create an emotional charge. What’s interesting about this artist is that, like Bonnard, he's deeply rooted in lived experience. You get the impression of a painter totally in tune with his surroundings. He takes simple motifs and elevates them into something really special. It's like he's saying, "Hey, look at these flowers! Aren't they amazing?" And you know what? They really are.