Birthday Bouquet (Flowers with Snake)

A vase bursting with vividly colored flowers anchors this still life, a snake curled among the stems while faint human figures and hints of buildings hover in soft, muted hues around the edges. Florine Stettheimer painted this oil work in 1932, and it now belongs to the collection of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Stettheimer, who lived from 1871 to 1944, was an American artist whose work spanned painting and costume design. The painting arrived at the museum as a gift given in memory of a donor's husband. Worth noticing is the contrast between the bright, saturated bouquet and the ghostly, pale figures and architecture that seem to dissolve into the background, giving the composition a layered sense of depth and quiet mystery around its lively central subject.