Still life with roses and books , circa 1910

Oil on canvas is signed in the lower corner

Dimensions: 120 x 120 cm, 137 x 137 cm with frame

Walther Püttner (1872, Leipzig - 1953, Munich) represents “Still life with roses and books” around 1910. For this painting, he depicts a still life on the theme of learning and play. Colorful drapes obscure the backdrop, providing a colorful backdrop to foreground objects. A few vase roses, a painted wooden harlequin doll, thick stacked books and a lush green plant are gathered on a table.

The orchestration of objects is skilful. The white sheet is laid casually, as if someone has just put it on the table. It offers a point of light and a continuity in the composition.

The geometry of the harlequin costume echoes that of the vase of flowers. Finely crafted, it contrasts with the hardiness of the terracotta pot of the green plant. The leaves of the latter exceed in height the bouquet of roses until they come out of the frame. The hors-cadre suggests a space inaccessible to the spectator, ready to poke his head through the window to access the interior space.

The young painter was trained by his father, Richard Püttner. He completed his know-how at the Munich Academy, in the workshop of Herterich and that of Hœcker. He travels to Italy, discovers Mediterranean light and puts it into practice in the light of German light.