Artwork
Still Life with Flowers and Idol
Still Life with Flowers and Idol is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin. It dates from 1896 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich. Created in 1896, this oil painting presents a compact arrangement of blossoms and a carved figure.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1896, this oil painting presents a compact arrangement of blossoms and a carved figure. The composition places vivid pink and purple flowers, set in a blue vessel, before a wooden idol rendered in earthy tones. A dark blue and orange backdrop frames the scene, emphasizing the contrast between natural detail and symbolic object.
Subject & Meaning
The work juxtaposes a lush floral display with a stylized wooden idol, merging botanical realism with cultural symbolism. The idol’s rounded head and elongated torso suggest a ritualistic presence, while the flowers convey a fleeting, decorative quality. This pairing reflects the artist’s interest in combining everyday objects with deeper, often exotic, spiritual references.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, the painting employs bold, flat areas of color characteristic of the artist’s Synthetist approach. The palette features saturated pinks, purples, and greens against a contrasting dark background, creating a flattened spatial effect. Brushwork is smooth, emphasizing shape and color over detailed modeling, aligning the piece with Post‑Impressionist and Symbolist tendencies.
History & Provenance
The canvas entered the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich, where it remains on display. It was produced during the artist’s later Tahitian period, a time when his style had fully departed from earlier Impressionist influences and embraced a more personal, symbolic visual language.
Context
Painted after the artist’s relocation to Tahiti, the piece reflects his fascination with Polynesian culture and the integration of indigenous motifs into Western art. The inclusion of a wooden idol alongside European floral motifs illustrates the cross‑cultural dialogue that defined his late oeuvre, situating the work within broader Symbolist currents of the late nineteenth century.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (; French: ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements.
