Emile Claus Nasturtiums by the River Postcard

Nasturtiums crowd the lower half of this canvas in every register from deep scarlet to pale coral and orange — a dense, exuberant mass of rounded leaves and vivid blooms built up in thick impasto dabs, each petal holding its own light. Behind them, a sunlit Flemish meadow opens toward a pale river, and the rounded canopy of a large tree anchors the right edge. No figure appears, no story intrudes: Emile Claus lets color alone carry the weight of summer, working with more chromatic force here than in his river scenes.

A garden-lover's postcard, best suited to anyone who wants pure color on the page rather than a scene to read.