Lemons & Avocados

A quietly sophisticated modernist still life painting that presents a simple yet striking arrangement of avocados and lemons resting upon a softly textured linen surface, executed in oil onto board and dated 1981.

The composition is understated but confident – the deep green of the avocados contrasts beautifully with the bright, citrus yellow of the lemons, creating a gentle rhythm across the surface.

Executed in a loose, painterly style, the brushstrokes are visible and intentional, lending a tactile quality to both fruit and cloth. The background is rendered in muted, layered tones of olive and slate green, applied in broad strokes that dissolve into abstraction, giving the foreground objects greater presence and weight.

The colour palette is restrained yet expressive – earthy avocados anchoring the composition, while the lemons provide a burst of light and warmth, subtly illuminating the off-white linen beneath them. There is a sense of quiet domestic elegance, a celebration of everyday forms through a modernist lens.

This oil on board is elegantly presented in a complementary gilt frame with an inner white border that highlights the composition beautifully. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, while the frame shows some age-related marks.

Size: 44.5 x 65.5 cm (including frame)