Early Still Lifes
Heade
was a great sportsman and lover of the outdoors, but he never painted the typical
still lifes of dead game and fruit. Instead, he painted flowers. Heade's early
still lifes have a naturalness that captures the essence of his simple bouquets.
Some of his best pictures, such as Red Flower in a Vase
(c. 1871-1880), feature a single dramatic blossom, in this case, a double crinum
lily.
In Red Flower in a Vase Heade sets the flowers against a dark velvet curtain with a gold fringe that echoes the yellow stamens of the lily. Starlike acacia blossoms and a gold box add luxuriance to the composition.
Introduction | Seashore Views and Marshes | Early Still Lifes | Hummingbirds | Florida | Images