Tina Blau (1845–1916)
Floral Still-Life
Oil on canvas
20 ¾ × 24 ¼ in.
A bouquet of flowers rests nestled into white cloth, foregrounding the muted pinks and greens of the arrangement. Blau’s skillful use of color is seen in the varying shades of the roses, which range from pale pink, eggshell white, to golden cream. Painterly, impressionistic strokes form the petals and leaves, giving a sense of life and motion to the otherwise static scene. A single unblossomed poppy adds a bold dash of color to the composition.
This work is pictured in the artist’s studio, as reproduced on page 127 of Natter’s book Tina Blau. Blau loved her workspace, writing: “I use this studio, summer and winter. It enables me to live lonesome and remote in close contact with nature that I love so much.” By making Floral Still-Life a centerpiece of her room, she brought both life and nature indoors.
