The piece's composition does have a strong resemblance to the well-known sunflower series, but Van Gogh also makes excellent use of the contrasting colours used on the canvas. Theo and Vincent van Gogh were fascinated by the efficient use of clashing colours throughout their careers. The painting is unique in that it is one of the few still lifes that Van Gogh created when he was a patient at the Saint-Rémy asylum, along with its companion piece Still Life: Vase with Irises. From his first still life paintings in Etten to the last ones he completed just before his death in 1890, Van Gogh created still lifes throughout his ten-year artistic career.
