Tulips
, 1991
29.5 x 22.5 in (h x w)
Color lithograph
Drawing on a long tradition of flower still life painting as a form of memento mori, or reminder of death, Gilot depicts the ephemeral beauty and imminent decay of an arrangement of bright tulips in the fullness of their bloom to nudge the viewer to think on the shortness of life and the inevitability of death. The work takes on another meaning as we mourn Gilot, who herself passed away this year. (EH)