"Flower Still LIfe," Adolphe Monticelli, 1875.

Monticelli (1824-86) remains a controversial figure in art history, even today.

Technically of the Orientalist and/or Romantic school, he was very experimental and had a very individual style, at one point remarking, "I paint for thirty years from now." He did many landscapes and more standard works, but toward the end of his life developed a very spontaneous style.

His work was influential on Cezanne and Van Gogh, and collected by Oscar Wilde and other luminaries. And yet others regard his work as atrocious; the director of the National Galleries of Scotland has refused to exhibit any of the 8 Monticellis they hold, considering them garbage work. Other have expressed similar disdain.

Here we have a vase of flowers from his more spontaneous late period, with only forget-me-nots clearly depicted. The rest are merely suggested by strokes of color. Despite one's opinion of it, it's definitely a precursor to Impressionism, and shows Monticelli as a man ahead of his time.

Happy Flower Friday!

From the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

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