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Lot Essay
Flower pieces appeared in most of Hitchens' solo exhibitions, beginning with the first in 1925. They were there not merely to offset the landscapes, which formed the majority of exhibits, or as dependable bread and butter, but as a significant and distinctive part of his work.
Not only was the urge to paint flowers strong in him but he also relished the challenge they posed. And he was peculiarly well-endowed by nature with the means to meet that challenge: exceptional dexterity and an instinctive colour sense.
Like the landscapes, the flower pieces vary largely in character and make-up - from bold blocks and splashes of bright colour to quieter, more delicate compositions like Red Dahlias. Here the dahlias and dark leaves are at the core of a profusion of other flowers, radiating out from the vase and forming a mosaic of colour. Both colour and composition suggest a date in the late 1930s.
We are very grateful to Peter Khoroche for preparing the catalogue entries for 152-156 and 224-227.
Not only was the urge to paint flowers strong in him but he also relished the challenge they posed. And he was peculiarly well-endowed by nature with the means to meet that challenge: exceptional dexterity and an instinctive colour sense.
Like the landscapes, the flower pieces vary largely in character and make-up - from bold blocks and splashes of bright colour to quieter, more delicate compositions like Red Dahlias. Here the dahlias and dark leaves are at the core of a profusion of other flowers, radiating out from the vase and forming a mosaic of colour. Both colour and composition suggest a date in the late 1930s.
We are very grateful to Peter Khoroche for preparing the catalogue entries for 152-156 and 224-227.