December Flowers

Compared to other genres, still-lifes are relatively rare in Subbi’s oeuvre. In this painting, the artist adopted different approaches and combined a classic still-life motif with a cityscape. It is interesting to note the three different colour zones used, none of which seem to be in harmony with the titular wintry December. The greyish-blue houses, standing mutely in an empty city, remind us of autumn in their melancholy and silence. The golden fields of grain and the wide sky seem to come from ripe August, instilling optimism and joy into the work of art. The third colour is the red of the flowers, standing out against the subdued background.