Lot 304 N

Although Maurice de Vlaminck was initially particularly influenced by the Impressionists and was later among Fauvism's leading protagonists, he nonetheless soon developed a style of painting very much his own. The use of pure, unmixed colours - as was characteristic of the Fauves - quite quickly ceased to interest him and he began to darken his palette with more blackish-grey and earthy tones. Many of his landscapes are thus characterised by an extremely dramatic ambience. The present painting also possesses a charged atmosphere on account of the captivating contrast between the subdued tones and the luminous colours of the flowers. While the background displays almost abstract tendencies, emphasis has certainly been placed on the actual subject matter - a magnificent bouquet of flowers, whose accents of colour flare up intensely and animate the composition. Thus, alongside the reserved tonality, a decidedly emotional intensification of the mysterious general ambience occurs.