Mixed Flowers in a Jug

The exhilarating contrast between dark and light, the way Redpath masterfully exploits the interplay between shapes and the use of white in the present work borders on abstraction. By the 1950s, the backgrounds of her still lifes barely existed in a recognisable form - it was the force of the colour and the vitality of the flowers which was key to her paintings. The backgrounds are dark and textural, allowing the flowers to burst out with all their energy. Her vigourous brushstrokes create a swirling, circular movement in strong, dynamic colours, juxtaposing with the white vase and flowers to produce a radiant composition.