Upright Flower Group

The retrospective exhibition at the Tate in 1963 confirmed Hitchen's position in the art establishment and, underpinned by Waddington's guarantee of continued support, he enjoyed a modest prosperity. This success enabled Hitchens to acquire eight acres of old orchard bordering his woods and his 'estate' now covered twenty-six acres in all. The outdoor world very much encroached on the indoor, with plants and flowers amidst a tangle of miscellaneous clutter: books, newspapers, vases and assorted fishing-tackle all set against the visual assault of the bold colours of the furnishing fabrics of the cushions and sofas. It was within this framework that the artist produced his canvases of the 1960s, with the surface patterns and spatial recessions working in relationship with each other, the pigments and brushstrokes conveying the emotions sourced from an inspirational landscape or a studio still-life (see P. Khoroche, Ivon Hitchens, London, 1990, pp. 106-108).