Still life with chrysanthemums, bellflowers, cornflowers and daisies in a white vase

Sergey Chekhonin
Artist Sergey Chekhonin
Date 1926
Medium Oil on canvas
Collection State Russian Museum
Copyright Public domain. Free for personal & commercial use.

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About the Artist

Sergey Chekhonin
Russian (1878–1936)
A versatile figure in early 20th-century Russian art, this painter, graphic artist, and illustrator bridged the gap between Symbolism and the avant-garde. His work often carried a sharp satirical edge, particularly in his political caricatures during the revolutionary period, where he skewered both the old regime and the excesses of the new order. Though less celebrated than contemporaries like Malevich or Kandinsky, his contributions to book design and propaganda posters were unmistakable, blending Art Nouveau flourishes with a modernist economy of line. Portraiture was another strength—lyrical yet incisive, capturing the intellectual ferment of his circle. His depictions of writers and actors avoided flattery, favoring psychological depth over grandeur. Later, as artistic winds shifted toward Socialist Realism, his style adapted without losing its distinctive wit. The tension between individual expression and state-mandated aesthetics runs quietly through his later work. Despite political upheavals, he maintained a thread of humanism, whether in a delicate watercolor or a biting lithograph. His legacy endures in the quiet resilience of his line, always probing, never dogmatic.

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HEX color palette extracted from Still life with chrysanthemums, bellflowers, cornflowers and daisies in a white vase (1926)-palette by Sergey Chekhonin
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Artwork Story

Sergey Chekhonin’s ‘Still life with chrysanthemums, bellflowers, cornflowers and daisies in a white vase’ bursts with a riot of colors, each petal and stem rendered with delicate precision. The white vase, almost luminous against the muted background, anchors the composition while allowing the wildflowers to take center stage. Chekhonin’s brushwork captures the fleeting beauty of the blooms—some drooping slightly, others standing tall—as if caught in a moment between freshness and decay. There’s an unstudied elegance here, a celebration of nature’s imperfections that feels both intimate and universal.

Painted in 1926, the work reflects Chekhonin’s mastery of still life, blending botanical accuracy with expressive freedom. The chrysanthemums’ fiery oranges contrast with the cool blues of cornflowers, while daisies add playful dots of white. What appears simple at first glance reveals subtle complexities: the way light filters through translucent petals, or how shadows pool beneath leaves. This isn’t just a depiction of flowers—it’s a meditation on transience, a vibrant reminder of life’s ephemeral beauty.

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