The Waiting Place

A compelling mid-century abstract figurative painting that presents a gathering of elongated figures arranged in quiet proximity, executed in oil onto board.

The forms appear engaged in a shared moment: perhaps at a waiting place or a gathering, but their identities remain deliberately obscured.

Rendered in a distinctly modernist style, the composition balances abstraction with figuration. The figures are reduced to essential silhouettes and planar shapes, their coats and hats suggested through angular geometry and softened contours. There is a subtle architectural structure anchoring the composition, with vertical elements lending a sense of stillness and gravitas.

The palette is restrained and sophisticated, dominated by muted greys, smoky charcoals, warm browns, and off-whites, punctuated by accents of crimson, burnt sienna, and soft rose. These warmer notes glow subtly from the centre, creating a quiet internal luminosity that draws the viewer inward. The tonal contrasts between light and dark figures create rhythm and spatial depth while maintaining an atmospheric cohesion.

The brushwork is expressive yet controlled, combining thin washes with dry, textured passages. Edges dissolve and re-emerge, allowing forms to hover between presence and absence. Vertical strokes emphasise the standing figures, while softer blended areas create a sense of movement and ambiguity. This interplay between structure and dissolution is characteristic of mid-century abstraction, lending the painting both emotional resonance and formal sophistication.

This oil on board is housed in a complementary grey painted wood frame with an inner white border. The painting is in excellent vintage condition, and the frame has a white mark to the bottom right corner of the outer frame but this does not detract from the overall composition.

Size: 49 x 56.5 cm (including frame)