A thoughtful mid-century figurative portrait that captures a female figure in a moment of inward reflection,  executed in oil onto canvas.

Positioned slightly off-centre, she gazes softly away from the viewer, her expression calm yet contemplative. There is a sense of emotional distance – she feels present, but absorbed in her own interior world. The simplicity of her attire and the absence of narrative detail draw attention to her face and psychological presence, making the portrait feel intimate and introspective rather than formal.

Executed in a loose, painterly mid-century style, the work leans toward modernist portraiture with subtle expressionist undertones. The artist prioritises mood and character over strict realism, allowing forms to soften and dissolve at the edges. There’s a gentle flattening of space, with the background treated as an atmospheric field rather than a defined setting, enhancing the subject’s quiet isolation.

A muted, harmonious palette dominates the composition – soft sage greens, warm beiges, and gentle creams create a subdued backdrop. The skin tones are delicately layered with hints of pink and grey, lending the face a lived-in softness. A subtle red accent along the neckline introduces a quiet point of contrast, drawing the eye without disrupting the overall calm.

The brushwork is loose and expressive, with visible, layered strokes that give the surface a tactile quality. The face is built up with short, blended strokes, creating a soft modelling of light and form, while the background is more gestural, with broader, sweeping applications of paint. This contrast between controlled and freer brushwork adds depth and reinforces the emotional tone – grounded yet quietly unsettled.

This oil on canvas is housed a complementary silver frame. The painting has some small areas of surface paint loss as shown in the photos. The frame has some minor losses and scuffs but is very stable overall. 

Size: 57.5 x 49 cm (including frame)

A striking mid-century portrait that captures a female figure in profile with her with her eyes gently closed, immersed in a moment of quiet reflection, executed in oil onto canvas.

Her simplified features, wrapped headscarf, and composed posture lend the work a sense of serenity and inner contemplation. Rather than engaging the viewer directly, the figure appears absorbed in her own thoughts, creating an atmosphere of calm dignity and introspection.

The artist has used simplified forms and broad planes of colour rather than detailed realism. The figure is constructed through confident shapes, creating a powerful presence while retaining an air of softness and introspection. The profile view recalls the refined portraiture of mid-century European modernism, where character is conveyed through form, colour, and mood rather than precise detail.

The palette is beautifully balanced, combining warm earth tones, deep charcoal blacks, muted greens, creamy whites, and delicate blush-pink hues in the background. These colours create a harmonious contrast, with the subtle pink ground imparting a gentle luminosity that enhances the figure’s silhouette.

Brushwork is loose yet deliberate, with visible painterly strokes and layered applications of paint contributing texture and depth. Areas of exposed underpainting and softened edges reinforce the work’s spontaneous, expressive quality, while the confident handling of colour and form imbues the portrait with timeless sophistication.

This oil on canvas is presented in an attractive frame with a warm gilt-toned finish and cream inner slip. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and there is a small loss to the bottom left corner of the frame but this does not detract from its overall attractiveness.

Size: 60.5 x 52.5 cm (including frame)

A vibrant mid-century modernist painting depicting the animated atmosphere of an outdoor market, executed in oil onto board.

At the centre, two figures engage across a fishmonger’s stall, surrounded by freshly caught fish, baskets, colourful awnings and loosely rendered shoppers. The closely arranged figures and market wares give the composition a wonderful sense of bustle, capturing an everyday moment with warmth and character.

Executed in a distinctly mid-century modernist style, the painting incorporates elements of Expressionism and Fauvism, with simplified forms, flattened perspective and bold areas of colour. Strong outlines and angular shapes give structure to the figures, while the overlapping stalls, awnings and people create a lively, densely layered composition.

The artist employs a rich palette of turquoise, teal, mustard yellow, olive green, terracotta, coral and deep blue. Colour is used expressively rather than naturalistically, with contrasting tones giving the scene its vibrancy. Confident, visible brushstrokes and areas of textured paint lend the surface a wonderfully tactile quality, while loosely defined details enhance its spontaneous character.

This oil on board is presented in a complementary warm gilt-toned wooden frame. the painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has some scuffs to its corners. 

Size: 49.5 x 41 cm (including frame)

An evocative mid-century figurative painting depicting a solitary figure seated in an armchair, executed in oil onto canvas and dated 1957.

The sitter is rendered with striking restraint: facial features have been entirely omitted, allowing posture, colour and form to carry the composition. Leaning slightly into the chair with one arm extended, the figure has a quiet, introspective presence that feels at once relaxed and enigmatic.

The work has a distinctly modernist, expressionistic character, with the body simplified into broad, angular shapes and the surrounding interior reduced to loosely defined planes of colour. Rather than pursuing realism, the artist focuses on the relationship between figure, furniture and space. The elongated limbs and deliberately flattened perspective lend the scene a wonderfully distinctive, almost sculptural quality.

The palette is particularly compelling. Deep black, midnight blue and charcoal define the sitter, set dramatically against a backdrop of acidic yellow-green, sage, teal and chalky cream. Small flashes of mustard yellow and vivid red-orange around the chair provide unexpected warmth and energy, creating a wonderful tension against the darker figure.

Paint has been applied with a confident, tactile hand. Broad, visible brushstrokes and  dry-brushed passages give the surface considerable texture, while loosely worked edges allow forms to merge into one another. There is an immediacy to the handling that feels spontaneous yet assured, particularly in the abstracted background.

This oil on canvas is housed in a warm-toned wood frame with a simple stepped profile. The painting has some craquelure to the central area, but the paint layer remains stable, as well as a surface mark to the lower left. The frame has some light scuffing, consistent with age. Overall, the painting and frame are in good vintage condition.