Natura Viva, Zinnie
Giacomo Balla
1951
- YEAR:1951
- MEDIUM:Oil on canvas
- DIMENSIONS:60.2 × 75.4 cm
Introduction
Giacomo Balla, one of the founders of the Futurist art movement, shifted from a style that celebrated speed and movement in the 1910s to a return to more traditional painting in the 1940s. Natura Viva, Zinnie can be considered a model that combines the bold spirit of Futurism with the figurative tradition of still life. Influenced by the pointillist style of Neo-Impressionism, Balla became deeply interested in the interplay of light and colour in artworks. In this piece, a vase, books, and a bowl are placed on a reflective surface, where natural light reflects on the mirrored surface and in the mirror itself. The red-orange petals and green leaves complement each other. At the same time, the purple specks in the flower center capture the fleeting movement of light across the petals, imbuing the objects with a sense of depth and volume.
