Paper

Student Artwork Guide

The Silver Vase

Name Class Date

Mark Gertler, The Silver Vase. Public domain.

The facts

Artist
Mark Gertler wikioo.org/en/artists/mark-gertler/
Artist’s dates
1891 – 1939

In context

The Silver Vase — Mark Gertler

When might this have been painted?

  1. 1890
  2. 1900
  3. 1910
  4. 1920
  5. 1930

Shaded: the lifetime of Mark Gertler (1891–1939)

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: wikioo.org/en/art/similar/mark-gertler-the-silver-vase-9FJLYM-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Phthalo Green #2b2827

    Catalogued palette

    • #2B2827
    • #B59467
    • #8B5636
    • #495359
    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Phthalo Green
    Intensity
    Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Gentle How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Balanced Harmony How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Balanced How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Mark Gertler

    Born in London, United Kingdom

    early life and career

    mark gertler, a british painter of figure subjects, portraits, and still-life, was born on december 9, 1891, in spitalfields, london. his early life and relationship with dora carrington were the inspiration for gilbert cannan's novel mendel. gertler's forename was anglicised from "marks" to "mark" in 1896, when his family joined his father in london. gertler showed signs of a great talent for drawing from an early age. he enrolled in art classes at regent street polytechnic in 1906 but was forced to drop out due to poverty. in 1908, he began working as an apprentice at clayton & bell, a stained glass company, while attending evening classes at the polytechnic.

    rise to prominence and notable works

    gertler's career took off when he was placed third in a national art competition in 1908. he then enrolled at the slade school of art in london, where he became a contemporary of notable artists like paul nash, edward wadsworth, and sir stanley spencer. gertler's patrons included lady ottoline morrell, who introduced him to walter sickert, the leader of the camden town group. his success as a painter of society portraits was short-lived due to his temperamental manner and devotion to advancing his work according to his own vision, leading to personal frustration and poverty.

    still life with self portrait, a painting showcasing gertler's unique style, can be found on AllPaintingsStore.

    other notable works include the basket of fruit, peaches and green bottle, and violin case and flowers, all of which can be viewed on mark gertler's page on AllPaintingsStore.

    legacy and burial

    gertler's life was marked by struggles with poverty and unrequited love. he died on june 23, 1939, and was buried at willesden jewish cemetery, where many other notable figures from the london area are interred. explore more of mark gertler's works and life on AllPaintingsStore: mark gertler | 127 artworks discover other artists and their stories on AllPaintingsStore: the greatest artists painters of all time

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for The Silver Vase

    wikioo.org/en/art/download/mark-gertler-the-silver-vase-9FJLYM-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Gertler, Mark. The Silver Vase. n.d., https://wikioo.org/en/art/mark-gertler-the-silver-vase-9FJLYM-en/
    APA
    Gertler, Mark (n.d.). The Silver Vase [Painting]. https://wikioo.org/en/art/mark-gertler-the-silver-vase-9FJLYM-en/
    Chicago
    Mark Gertler. The Silver Vase. n.d. https://wikioo.org/en/art/mark-gertler-the-silver-vase-9FJLYM-en/
    Harvard
    Gertler, Mark (n.d.) The Silver Vase. Available at: https://wikioo.org/en/art/mark-gertler-the-silver-vase-9FJLYM-en/

    Look closely

    The Silver Vase — Mark Gertler

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: vase. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at Portrait of Marjorie Gertler, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. What might the artist have wanted you to feel?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.