Painting Still Life with Lilac and Lemon, artist Maxim Babich

• Artist: Maxim Babich
• Title: "Still Life with Lilac and Lemon"
• Year: 2017
• Size: 80 × 60 cm
• Materials: canvas on stretcher, oil
• Original hand-painted painting

A lush spring still life fills almost the entire surface of the horizontal canvas. On the left, a bouquet of mauve lilac stands in a dark blue glass vase; on the right, a white porcelain vase with a blue floral pattern holds white and lilac clusters. The branches merge into one broad flowering mass, while young leaves spread out in light green tongues in every direction. In the foreground a cut lemon lies on a pale blue saucer, and a broken-off sprig of lilac rests near the edge of the table. The composition is built on the balance of the two vases and a bright yellow accent in the centre.

The work is painted in oil in an impressionist manner. The lilac blossoms are rendered with thick, almost sculptural strokes: the paint is laid in dense impasto dabs, so the white and mauve clusters literally rise above the surface of the canvas. The leaves and background are applied with freer, broader movements of the brush, and the folds of the green tablecloth are suggested by a few confident patches. The artist does not draw out details but conveys form through colour and texture. As a result, the painting reads differently up close and from a distance: up close you see the lively play of strokes, from afar they gather into full, fluffy clusters. The artist's signature in blue paint is in the lower right corner.

The palette is built on the combination of a cool turquoise-green background with lilac, violet and white flowers. The deep ultramarine of the left vase and the blue ornament on the porcelain echo the shadows within the blossoms, while the sunny yellow lemon becomes the warmest point of the picture. Light yellow-green patches on the tablecloth read as sunlight breaking through the foliage. Overall, the still life evokes a fresh May day when the room is filled with the scent of freshly cut lilac.

Maxim Babich is a painter working in the field of easel painting, and impressionism is the main direction of his work. In his own words: "I am a free artist… I love to paint sunlight and colour."

At 80 × 60 cm, "Still Life with Lilac and Lemon" will suit a living room, dining room or spacious kitchen: its bright spring colours will enliven the interior at any time of year. The painting looks harmonious on a light wall in classic, Provençal or contemporary interiors. It makes a warm gift for a woman — a mother, wife or friend — for a birthday, Women's Day or a housewarming: flowers that never fade and a reminder of spring. The work is unframed, so it can easily be fitted with a frame to match a particular interior.