Summer in shades of orange by Bianca ter Riet

A warm, tranquil moment captured in a rich palette of orange and earth tones. At the heart of the composition stands a vase, deep orange in colour, filled with lush dahlias blooming in shades ranging from soft pink to intense warm orange. Their full, layered petals seem to catch and hold the sunlight, as if summer itself were contained within them.

The flowers are not arranged in a rigid formation, but exude a natural looseness; a few dahlias have left their place in the vase and rest on the table. There they lie, seemingly careless yet meaningful, as silent witnesses to transience and the gentle passage of time. Their forms contrast subtly with the solid surface of the orange-brown table, which gives the composition an earthy, stable foundation.

The background flows seamlessly from light orange to deeper, browner tones, as if the air of a sultry summer’s day is slowly giving way to the warmth of the evening. These soft colour gradients envelop the still life and reinforce the atmosphere of tranquillity and introspection. Everything in the picture seems connected by colour and light, creating a harmonious whole.

The painting exudes the languor of a summer afternoon, in which time seems to slow down and small details – a falling petal, a shadow, a nuance of colour – take centre stage. It is an ode to warmth, to blossoming, and to that quiet moment when beauty reveals itself, precisely in its fragility. Still Life.