Bouquet de tulipes
“Painting flowers is a form of relaxation for me. I am not subject to the same mental tension as when I face a model. When I paint flowers, I put on colours and try out values boldly.” Renoir confided to Georges Rivière. This shimmering bouquet is indeed rendered in tones dominated by red, green and yellow. The background consists of an area of broad brushstrokes of red mixed with beige, against which a green vase filled with tulips and other multi-coloured flowers stands out. This canvas was probably painted by Renoir in Cagnes, shortly after his final move to the south of France. Renoir painted many vases of flowers during his career. This was a joyful activity for him until the end of his life. In fact, in 1916 he declared once again to the art dealer Ambroise Vollard (1866-1939) while looking at a bouquet of dahlias: "Look Vollard, isn’t this just as brilliant as one of Delacroix’s battle scenes?" The art dealer and collector Paul Guillaume bought this canvas in 1929. It had remained in the painter’s studio until his death in 1919.
