Artwork
Flowers and candies
Flowers and candies is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Pedro Alexandrino Borges. It dates from 1900 and is held in the collection of the Pinacoteca de São Paulo.
About this work
Overview
Pedro Alexandrino Borges’s 1900 oil painting ‘Flowers and Candies’ depicts a modest still‑life arranged on a wooden table. A vase of white and pink blossoms, a floral‑patterned pitcher, a glass, and a plate of assorted candies compose the composition, which rests beneath a green cloth. The work is part of the collection of the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents everyday objects rendered with quiet dignity, inviting contemplation of domestic leisure. The juxtaposition of fresh flowers and confectionery suggests a fleeting moment of pleasure, while the restrained setting underscores a sense of modest refinement rather than overt extravagance.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, Borges employs a warm, golden illumination that softens the muted palette of browns, greens, and pastel hues. Brushwork is smooth and controlled, allowing subtle gradations of light to model the surfaces of the vase, pitcher, and glass, while the floral details retain a delicate, almost tactile quality.
History & Provenance
Created at the turn of the twentieth century, ‘Flowers and Candies’ entered the holdings of the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, where it remains on display. The work reflects Borges’s early period, during which he explored still‑life subjects with an emphasis on composition and atmospheric light.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pedro Alexandrino Borges (1856–1942) was an artist, born in São Paulo.
