Still Life with Pitcher and Vase of Flowers 

Hippolyte Petitjean made this painting, *Still Life with Pitcher and Vase of Flowers*, with oil on canvas. Petitjean was a Neo-Impressionist, a movement that emerged in France, that took Impressionism in a new direction, and was known for its focus on scientific theories of optics and color. The flowers are arranged in a domestic setting, and there is the pitcher, the vase and the bowl which seem to be traditional French designs. The flowers themselves are arranged casually. The Neo-Impressionists adopted Pointillism, using tiny dots of pure color, which, when viewed from a distance, create a vibrant, luminous effect. Petitjean’s brushstrokes create an image that feels energetic and spontaneous. To understand it better, we can research 19th-century French domestic life, and the art criticism of the day. This painting challenges academic art. It’s a slice of modern life, and art historians reveal these radical rejections of tradition.