Betty Swanwick, R.A. (1915-1989)

The Peaceable Kingdom

Details

Betty Swanwick, R.A. (1915-1989)
The Peaceable Kingdom
signed and dated 'Betty Swanwick '86' (lower right)
pencil
12 x 25 in. (30.5 x 63.5 cm.)

Provenance

Gifted by the artist to The Celia Hammond Trust.
Purchased by the present owner at the 1987 exhibition.

Literature

P. Rossmore, 'Betty Swanwick. Another World', The Artist, London, 1990, p. 43.
P. Rossmore, Betty Swanwick: Artist and Visionary, London, 2008, pp. 62-63, 129, illustrated.

Exhibited

London, Royal Academy, 1987, no. 886.

Lot Essay

Paddy Rossmore comments that 'William Blake talks of a place where contrarieties are equally true, and the picture 'The Peaceable Kingdom' illustrates a coming together or union of opposites: light and dark, weak and strong, hunter and hunted, male and female. It also depicts a fruitfulness of such a union. A symbol in an earlier picture which acts as a forerunner of this idea is the caduceus in 'The Retreat'[see lot 39]. The two snakes entwined together round a rod represent the coming together of two aspects of the snake; one healing, one poisonous. The wings would represent transendence' (P. Rossmore, Betty Swanwick; Artist and Visionary, London, 2008, p. 62).

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