Modersohn-Becker painted the vase before a translucent background, (it looks like a light-colored curtain drawn before a window) so that it is backlit and the side of the vase facing us receives only the diffused light that bounces back from the room.

As a result, the colors of the vase and flowers are rather subdued – just as one would perceive them in reality. There is also a strong value contrast in the picture’s upper half, turning the flower bunch into a silhouette-like shape. (Other paintings by the artist show backlit subjects, for example: ‘Old Woman from the Poorhouse in the Garden‘, 1906, as well as some self-portraits, for example ‘Self Portrait with Camellia Branch‘, 1906/07.)

In a letter dated October 1, 1902, the artist wrote: “I believe one should not think too much about nature when painting, at least not during the conception of the painting. One should do one’s color sketch exactly as one has perceived something in nature. But personal sensation is the main thing.”

The key characteristic of the painting is the simplicity of color, composition, and form. There is no attempt to capture nature’s complexity. Instead, there is accurate observation combined with simplification.