Geometric Harvest

A striking modernist still life that presents a vibrant arrangement of fruit abstracted into a dynamic composition of intersecting planes and softened geometry, executed in oil onto canvas and dated 1950.

The familiar forms of citrus and rounded vessels are deconstructed and reassembled into a rhythmic interplay of curves, arcs, and angular shapes, inviting the viewer to experience the still life as both object and structure. Rather than depicting fruit in literal terms, the artist captures its essence through balance, weight, and spatial tension.

Executed in a refined modernist style, the composition reflects the influence of Cubism and post-war abstraction, where form and colour take precedence over realism. Overlapping shapes create depth while maintaining a flattened picture plane, lending the work a quiet architectural quality. The arrangement rests within a harmonious equilibrium, suggesting careful deliberation and confident restraint.

The palette is both playful and sophisticated, featuring soft pastel tones of peach, lemon yellow, sage green, muted lilac, and warm coral, contrasted with grounding passages of charcoal, slate grey, and black. These colours are thoughtfully distributed across the surface, allowing light tones to advance and darker forms to anchor the composition.

Brushwork is smooth and controlled, with areas of matte, even application that emphasise the clarity of form. Subtle variations in opacity and tone reveal the artist’s hand, while clean edges between colour fields enhance the geometric precision. The surface possesses a quiet tactility, reinforcing the contemplative nature of the work.

Overall, this painting exemplifies the mid-century modernist pursuit of harmony between abstraction and representation, transforming an everyday still life into a refined study of form, colour, and compositional balance.

This oil on canvas is housed in a unique and well-suited wood frame featuring a wide, softly textured border in a warm tone. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has some age-appropriate marks which do not detract from its overall presentation.

Size: 35 x 72.5 cm (including frame)