A Swiss Modernist Painter

Letter under Vase, 1918, oil on cardboard, 23 x 24 cm

Letter under Vase, 1918

This 1918 still life depicts red flowers in a vase. The spherical vase rests on a brown column, the background is rendered in white, and Evard appears to suggest a white curtain here. Two other pictorial elements catch the eye and lend an enigmatic character to the work: On the pedestal beneath the vase lies a piece of paper, presumably a letter. In the back left corner stands a small statue, which the painter has rendered in the same color as the background, causing it to almost merge with it. It is a figure depicted standing but with slightly bent legs, its arms crossed over its chest, and its posture slightly stooped. It is turned halfway away from the viewer, its barely discernible face shown in profile. Who does this mysterious statue represent? Why does it stand ghost-like in the furthest corner of the pedestal, appearing to belong more to the background than the foreground? What is its connection to the equally mysterious document? This work by Evard presents enigmas. Thus, a still life is created that appears to be brimming with hidden narratives.