Oranges
circa 1895
(progravure and oil on panel)
(progravure and oil on panel)
The coarse and roughly-incised grooves of this piece are like fresh scrapes on the skin: they are things that require attention and tending to, and they force one to scrutinise (or at least remind one of) what lays beneath any surface, fragile or not. These particular grooves - gouged by a sturdy and confident hand - are just as much part of the painting as are the painted objects themselves, perhaps even more. Like prominent rivulets they run their never-ending course in order to emphasise and join together the contours of the shapes they outline with the original material into which they are carved. They unify the composition with its backing, giving both a physical depth and equal importance, as well as call attention to the painting's woody flesh.
It is arguable that the boldest features of this piece are not so much the shapes or the bright pigments, but the actual way in which it was created. Each petal, each twist of the thick stems and of the bowl's gnarled tracery relies most on its incised gritty silhouette. In this way the artist has given her subjects a weighty feel; she has literally exposed the meat of her piece by cutting and attacking its skin so as to lay bare its full potential as a simple still-life and to testify, in a sense, to the alluring qualities of texture!
It is arguable that the boldest features of this piece are not so much the shapes or the bright pigments, but the actual way in which it was created. Each petal, each twist of the thick stems and of the bowl's gnarled tracery relies most on its incised gritty silhouette. In this way the artist has given her subjects a weighty feel; she has literally exposed the meat of her piece by cutting and attacking its skin so as to lay bare its full potential as a simple still-life and to testify, in a sense, to the alluring qualities of texture!
