Bowl with Zinnias and Other Flowers 1886

oil on canvas
50.2 x 61 cm
Purchased 1951
National Gallery of Canada (no. 5808)

Set on a pale surface, a glazed earthenware vase overflows with flowers: zinnias, forget-me-nots, cornflowers and more. White, ochre, red, yellow, blue, pink! Flashes of colour against the dark background of the painting.

After coming into contact with Impressionism, Van Gogh gradually freed himself from the dark tones that had dominated his Dutch period: his palette got brighter, his brushstroke became fragmented. Thanks to his brother Theo, who was an art dealer in Paris, and Père Tanguy, a paint seller who showed paintings in the window of his shop, Van Gogh came around to Impressionism, which he had initially rejected.

Painted within days of acc. no. 5045, "Vase with Zinnias and Geraniums", this still-life displays van Gogh as a colourist and fresh convert to the Parisian art scene. In addition to a lighter palette, his works from this period exhibit a more vigorous, brushstroke and an intensified impasto - application of the paint in thick strokes, often taking on a three-dimensional character.