“Flowers and Flames”
Another stunning piece from Kay Nielsen.
“Flowers and Flames” is a gorgeous painting by the Danish artist, Kay Nielsen, from 1921. It is watercolor and metallic paint over graphite on paper. It is a supreme example of his work, with his delicate style, intricate details, and graceful designs.
Nielsen depicts a woman seated with her arms crossed in front. Her hands are near her shoulders, a pink flower in each hand. Her dress is sheer, gathered in graceful lines, a fashionable inspiration. She is flanked all around by white flowers, which are dense and delicate around her head. Dense foliage surrounds her with colorful flowers and far-reaching leaves. Her hair is long and dark, with curly strands visible against her pale skin. Nielsen’s signature is in the lower right. All of this stands against a background of black.
World War I had just ended, and Nielsen was planning on returning to the art world with an illustrated publication of The Arabian Nights. He was back in Copenhagen, designing sets and costumes for theatrical productions. Around that time, he made this piece.
The setting of dense foliage and flowers is inspired by the millefleur background style, which was popular from around 1400 to 1550, and which William Morris revived with his tapestries in the late 1800s. An example of this can be seen in ‘The Unicorn Tapestries’.
“Flowers and Flames” is currently in the private collection of Kendra and Allan Daniel, promised to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States.
For more on Kay Nielsen, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
