Dorothy Weir Young (1890-1947), Bowl of Flowers, no date, linoleum cut, 9 1/2 x 7 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, purchase/gift of Mahonri M. Young Estate, 1959.
Yellow flowers w/orange centers in bowl on muted purple table Dorothy Weir Young was the only daughter to seriously study art under the direction of her father, the American Impressionist Julian Alden Weir, before attending the National Association of Women Painters and Sculptors at the Brooklyn Museum and the National Academy of Design. Over the course of her artistic training, Dorothy became proficient in many mediums including oils, watercolors, and relief printing.
In 1917, Dorothy attended Storrs College to study gardening. Although she found that horticulture did not capture her attention, the subject matter of flowers was endlessly interesting to her. She produced hundreds of floral still lifes, paying close attention to detail, color, light, and composition. In Bowl of Flowers, bright yellow blooms rise delicately from an orange planting bowl. The contrast between the warm and cheerful colors of the floral arrangement and the cool purple tone of the wall behind creates interest in the simple composition. Dorothy masterfully captures the sunlight as it reflects off the highly polished table beneath the bowl. The inclusion of this small detail changes the otherwise flat scene into a three-dimensional space.