Painting of Shells Van Gogh Rows of specimens fan out

Rows of specimens fan out in muted greens

A whole pineapple crowns the arrangement

held in profile against a sky set ablaze by the setting sun

so the planet seems to hover gently in the silence of space

Intense and unflinching

Painting of Shells Van Gogh Rows of specimens fan outThis watercolour study gathers a cluster of seashells resting in the clear shallows of a tidal pool, their forms half submerged beneath a thin film of moving water. A large fan shaped scallop takes centre stage, banded in russet, amber and soft green, surrounded by smaller cockles in coral and chalky pink. Rounded pebbles line the sandy bed below, while delicate flecks of foam and tiny bubbles drift across the surface. The treatment is loose yet