Throughout his career, Alexander Gerasimov created a considerable amount of still lifes. The artist loved nature and had a penchant for flowers. Alexander Mikhailovich collected them and even made bouquets for work. One day the writer Ivan Kuzmich Golikov, the artist’s townsman, asked Alexander Gerasimov why he drew so many bouquets. Gerasimov replied, “Because I am in love with the beauty of life. When I see the land covered with flowers, my heart always fills with great joy… How can any artist just pass them by?”
In this still life depicting wildflowers, the beauty of Russian nature is presented especially vividly, it looks more sincere and simple. The artist depicted several kinds of wildflowers: tansy, yarrow, fern, cornflower, and chamomile. The elegant composition of the bouquet shows great taste and a deep understanding of the specifics of each plant species. Alexander Gerasimov chose a dark, saturated background, contrasting the variety of colors of the native land against it to achieve a special captivating effect. This technique proved especially successful with the daisies when their light hues were juxtaposed with the general, darker flower mass. The artist introduced a light-reflecting surface — a mirror — into the structure of the still life.
In this still life depicting wildflowers, the beauty of Russian nature is presented especially vividly, it looks more sincere and simple. The artist depicted several kinds of wildflowers: tansy, yarrow, fern, cornflower, and chamomile. The elegant composition of the bouquet shows great taste and a deep understanding of the specifics of each plant species. Alexander Gerasimov chose a dark, saturated background, contrasting the variety of colors of the native land against it to achieve a special captivating effect. This technique proved especially successful with the daisies when their light hues were juxtaposed with the general, darker flower mass. The artist introduced a light-reflecting surface — a mirror — into the structure of the still life.
