In what she referred to as Reverse Art, br she decided to re-create br Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” br in an arrangement of real blooms br on the kitchen table. br Afterwards she would photograph br and then paint what she saw. br br She succeeded admirably br in getting every stem br in exactly the right angle, br every blossom in the perfect pose, br removing petals, br bending stems, br artificially wilting some of the buds br with a heat gun. br br She had a ceramics expert br mold and paint br a precise replica br of the two-toned vase. br br On completion, br she stepped back br and declared her “painting” br authentic, but a failure. br br What was absent br was the startling sunlight of Provence br and the flowers' response to it, br which was the painter's response to it. br These flowers droop and bow br with the punishing weight br but cannot wholly absorb br the exquisite passion, br the contorted brush-strokes br of indescribable anguish.