Frederick Carl Frieseke (1874-1939), Woman With a Flower Basket, c.1904-1907, oil on canvas, 58 3/4 x 47 5/8 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art,gift of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Child.
Frieseke's colorful painting, rich in floral tones of pink, blue, and orange, celebrates the abundant gifts of the natural world. As the season turns from winter to spring, we all revel in the glories of the earth renewed, from the blooming flowers at this woman's feet to her basket overflowing with delicious ripe fruits. Even her dress that flows around her in beautiful opulence, decorated with colorful floral motifs and made of fabric the color of the sea and sky at the horizon, embodies the close ties between humans and their ever-changing environment.