Artwork
Still Life with Sunflower
Still Life with Sunflower is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Piet Mondrian. It dates from 1907 and is held in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts.
About this work
Overview
Piet Mondrian’s 1907 oil painting *Still Life with Sunflower* presents a modest arrangement of everyday objects. A solitary sunflower occupies a clear glass jar, accompanied by a small pale fruit and a dark blue vase, set against a loosely rendered background of green and brown tones that suggest foliage. The work is part of the Detroit Institute of Arts’ permanent collection.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a single sunflower, its vivid yellow rays contrasting with the muted surroundings, inviting contemplation of natural vitality within a domestic setting. The inclusion of a modest fruit and a contrasting vase adds balance, while the ambiguous backdrop hints at an outdoor garden, subtly linking the interior still‑life to the broader natural world.
Technique & Style
Though rooted in post‑impressionist concerns for color and form, the piece anticipates the artist’s later move toward abstraction.
Executed in oil, Mondrian employs a relatively thick application of paint, especially on the sunflower’s petals and centre, creating a tactile surface that catches light. The brushwork in the background is loose and blended, producing a softened, almost atmospheric effect. Though rooted in post‑impressionist concerns for color and form, the piece anticipates the artist’s later move toward abstraction.
History & Provenance
Created early in Mondrian’s career, the painting reflects his initial engagement with still‑life subjects before his shift to neoplasticism. It entered the Detroit Institute of Arts’ holdings through acquisition in the mid‑20th century, where it remains on view as an example of his pre‑abstract phase and of Dutch contributions to the post‑impressionist movement.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan (Dutch: ; 7 March 1872 – 1 February 1944), known after 1911 as Piet Mondrian (, US also ; Dutch: ), was a Dutch painter and art theoretician, who is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.
