Artwork
Afrikaantjes in een blauw vaasje
Afrikaantjes in een blauw vaasje is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Willem Witsen. It dates from 1903 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work belongs to the genre of flower painting, a subject often associated with notions of transience and domestic harmony in Dutch art.
The painting portrays a solitary flower set within a blue vase, a composition that emphasizes the quiet elegance of domestic still life. Witsen’s rendering captures the delicate interplay of light and color, suggesting a contemplative mood that reflects early twentieth‑century Dutch decorative sensibilities.
The work belongs to the genre of flower painting, a subject often associated with notions of transience and domestic harmony in Dutch art. By isolating the blossom against a muted background, Witsen invites viewers to consider the fleeting beauty of everyday objects.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1903, this work is an oil painting on canvas. The composition features a floral subject, specifically depicting flowers arranged within a vessel. Physically, the artwork measures 39.5 cm in height and 31 cm in width. The piece is classified as a painting and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
History & Provenance
Willem Witsen created the oil painting Afrikaantjes in een blauw vaasje in 1903. Executed on canvas, the work measures 39.5 cm in height and 31 cm in width. The piece depicts flowers and has been held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
The painting is held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, where it is inventoried as Afrikaantjes in een blauw vaasje (object number SK-C-1838).
It was included in the exhibition De School van Barbizon en Nederland held at the Rijksmuseum from 7 December 2018 to 21 April 2019.
Overview
Created in 1903, Afrikaantjes in een blauw vaasje is an oil painting by Dutch artist Willem Witsen. The work presents a modest still‑life: a glossy blue vase on a table, filled with yellow and red blossoms and their green foliage, set against a muted, light‑brown wall. The composition is noted for its restrained elegance and quiet atmosphere.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Willem Arnoldus Witsen (13 August 1860 – 13 April 1923, Amsterdam) was a Dutch painter and photographer associated with the Amsterdam Impressionism movement.
Pakhuizen aan een Amsterdamse gracht op Uilenburg
Bridge over a canal in Venice
Landscape with fields
Winter Landscape
Andries van Wezel (1856–1922). Koopman te Antwerpen, legateerde in 1922 zijn schilderijenverzameling aan het Rijksmuseum
Landschap met de molen van Wijk bij Duurstede
Portret van een meisje
Fluffy Flowers in a Jug
