Flowers in a Vase by Paul Gauguin
You've probably seen Flemish floral still life paintings that are so life-like that they seem to be photographs. In comparison, Gauguin's painting almost looks like a paint-by-numbers approach.
But Gauguin’s not interested in photographic realism. He’s interested in capturing the essence of what beautiful and exotic flowers do to us deep inside. And what he works with is not the detailed features of each petal and stem, but colors. The colors are not even exactly true to life, but the way Gauguin combines them together somehow is able to express something about the wild, exotic appeal that all of nature has for us.
Some might be afraid of this appeal, and its link to “uncontrolled animal passions.” And to be sure, in our fallen world, there’s plenty of danger in abandoning ourselves to our base impulses.
But I don’t think that’s what this painting is about. I think it appeals to that part of our being that remembers pure pleasure from the time before creation was corrupted by sin – when it was only and entirely what God intended for us. I think the sense of desire that this painting awakens in our hearts is well known to geocachers because for many of us, it's the appeal of the beauty, and the essential wildness of nature that is one of the great rewards of the sport.
I think this painting expresses that visually, and ignites a longing in our souls to return to Eden and walk with God through His wonderful creation "in the cool of the day."
But Gauguin’s not interested in photographic realism. He’s interested in capturing the essence of what beautiful and exotic flowers do to us deep inside. And what he works with is not the detailed features of each petal and stem, but colors. The colors are not even exactly true to life, but the way Gauguin combines them together somehow is able to express something about the wild, exotic appeal that all of nature has for us.
Some might be afraid of this appeal, and its link to “uncontrolled animal passions.” And to be sure, in our fallen world, there’s plenty of danger in abandoning ourselves to our base impulses.
But I don’t think that’s what this painting is about. I think it appeals to that part of our being that remembers pure pleasure from the time before creation was corrupted by sin – when it was only and entirely what God intended for us. I think the sense of desire that this painting awakens in our hearts is well known to geocachers because for many of us, it's the appeal of the beauty, and the essential wildness of nature that is one of the great rewards of the sport.
I think this painting expresses that visually, and ignites a longing in our souls to return to Eden and walk with God through His wonderful creation "in the cool of the day."
If this is meaningful to you, feel free to keep the artcoin, or place it in another cache to share it with someone else. Whether it's meaningful to you or not, I'd really like to hear from you about your reaction, even if it offends you. If you get a chance, send me a note
Want to know more about how God speaks to us through visual art?
Check out Art to Heart: Encounters with God in the world's great art