Narcisses

A cluster of white narcissus, their petals loosely rendered with a few deft strokes, rises from a glass vase set on a windowsill. Beyond the glass, a hazy river scene opens out: a long bridge spans the water in the middle distance, a small dark boat trailing a plume of smoke crosses the river, and bare trees line the far bank.

The whole picture is bathed in cool blue-grey light, the flowers picked out in thick white impasto against the softer, washier tones of the distant view. Loose, economical brushwork blurs architecture and water into atmosphere, creating a hushed, misty mood that unites the intimate foreground bouquet with the wide, quiet river beyond.