Dernière Pensée brings together two of Ribot’s principal painting genres: portraiture and still life. The canvas depicts three young women – possibly members of Ribot’s own family – preparing a bouquet of pansies, anemones, and a white tulip. Set against an almost black background, their hair and clothing recede into shadow, so that only the illuminated faces, hands, and flowers stand out. This controlled use of light reflects Ribot’s sustained dialogue with 17th-century Spanish painting, particularly his predilection for Ribera’s chiaroscuro.
The interlacing of hands and the attention placed by the artist on the rendering of the white flowers, known as “pensées” in French, underscores Ribot’s keen interest in the treatment of light and different textures. The tenebrist light illuminating their faces, which strikingly recalls Caravaggio’s half-length framing, imbues the composition with narrative and symbolic resonance while maintaining the restraint that characterises Ribot’s œuvre.