Larkspur in Ceramic Jug, 1913

In Larkspur in Ceramic Jug of 1913, Anton Faistauer (1887–1930) takes up the traditional subject of a flower vase as a still-life motif, enveloping it in the mysterious dark and somber atmosphere of the Baroque. But unlike in Baroque models, he throws a color composition, which could come from a rural environment, on the canvas with swift and sketchy brush strokes. The focus here is much more on overall effect than on detailed representation of flowers. And it is not an expensive bouquet of exotic flowers but a bunch of larkspur, which often grows in gardens. At the time of creation of this painting, flower still lifes by Faistauer were much in demand.

RR, 2021