L'œuvre en bref

This work belongs to Nicolas de Staël's oeuvre from the 20th century, a period during which he focused on everyday objects rendered using broad swathes of colour. At this point in his career, he moved away from detailed representation in favour of simple forms and a painting style built up through the superimposition of thick layers. Still lifes allowed him to experiment with the relationship between volume, light and contrast, without any narrative reference.

The painting shows a salad bowl placed on a light surface, against an almost entirely black background. The bowl is painted in pale green and white tones, with a dense and visible texture. Darker touches suggest the contents of the salad bowl, without precisely defining their nature. On the right, two utensils emerge from the container, rendered in elongated, light shapes. The composition is centred, stable, and based on the clear contrast between the dark background and the light areas in the foreground.

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