John Armstrong 1893-1973
Still life, 1960
oil on board
11 1/4 x 15 1/8 in
28.5 x 38.5 cm
28.5 x 38.5 cm
signed and dated
This painting shows Armstrong's earlier career as a theatre designer, with its subjects arranged on a window sill as if actors in a play; the leaf and muntin, painted in...
This painting shows Armstrong's earlier career as a theatre designer, with its subjects arranged on a window sill as if actors in a play; the leaf and muntin, painted in a similar tone of green, act as a mid-ground to the autumnal trees outside the Artist's London home. Painted after Armstrong had returned to the city from Lamorna, Cornwall, as a struggling artist, models were too expensive and so he resorted to using fruits and vegetables from his local market. Showing a Cycladic vessel that appears in other works from 1957 onwards, as illustrated in Lambirth's book, including Still life with Mushrooms from 1961. The distinctive brick-like pattern of Armstrong's brushstrokes shines through here.