Vase de Fleurs

Flowers run through every stage of Picasso’s career, serving as vital vehicles for his formal exploration and experiments with different media. Painted in 1904, Vase de Fleurs marks his transition from the sombre austerity of the “Blue Period” to the warmth and lyricism of the “Rose Period”. This shift was shaped in large part by his encounter and ensuing relationship with his first significant muse, Fernande Olivier. Created just a month after their meeting, the painting still retains blue as the dominant tone of the background and vase, yet the ochre table surface—occupying nearly a third of the canvas—introduces a note of warmth. Pink, orange, yellow, white and violet blossoms emerge in profusion, suffusing the composition with vitality, and a poetic, dreamlike quality.