André Evard’s painting “Surreal Scene with Jug and Dominoes” (1918, oil on cardboard, 27 × 35 cm) represents a clear stylistic and atmospheric distinction from the contemporaneous still life series “Jug with Apples I–III.” Although the jug returns here as a central motif, the composition is incomparably more complex, enigmatic, and its visual effect is significantly darker and more symbolic.
At the center of the picture is a bulbous jug, which—in an impossible balance—rises above a tabletop, standing on its narrow neck. This motif of the inverted arrangement creates a surreal tension and lifts the object out of the natural order. The table itself is covered with scattered dominoes, whose mathematical, playful order contrasts with the unstable jug position. The dominoes not only evoke childhood or play, but also suggest questions of chance, order, and structure—themes with which Evard artistically occupied himself throughout his life.
The background opens into an implied interior scene that evokes a psychologically charged atmosphere: a window that lets in diffuse light, a door opened a crack that suggests transitions and possibilities, and an overturned chair that refers to a previous event or disturbance. These pictorial elements create a narrative structure that is not immediately apparent to the viewer, but rather leaves open a multitude of possible interpretations.
In contrast to the “Jug with Apples” series, the color palette is strongly muted, dominated by dark brown, gray, and green tones, which emphasize the surreal, almost dreamlike scene. Light reflections and shadow zones are.