Beschreibung:

George Leslie Hunter (British, 1877-1931)Still Life with Rose and Chinese Vase
signed 'Hunter' (upper left)
oil on board
43.5 x 33.5cm (17 1/8 x 13 3/16in).
Painted circa 1925FootnotesProvenance
With T. & R. Annan & Sons, Glasgow.
In Still Life with Rose and Chinese Vase, Hunter has flattened perspective to emphasise his sense of line and design, a technique he had been experimenting with on and off since 1923. Having long enjoyed painting Chinese vases and ceramics over the years, this painting shows another fascinating aspect in the way he painted them.
In Spring 1925, Hunter, accompanied by his friend and patron, William McInnes, were bowled over by Henri Matisse's latest exhibition in Paris. Fervently encouraged by Hunter, McInnes bought Matisse's Pink Tablecloth, (No. 2402, Glasgow Art Galleries). The joyous decorative harmony in Matisse's painting appealed to Hunter's desire to deepen his sense of design. He produced some of his finest still lifes during this time.
In his 1925 solo exhibition at Alexander Reid Glasgow, critical success for his efforts was confirmed by the local newspaper's critic:
"Like all progressive artists, Hunter's art has advanced stage by stage until he has now evolved a style of his own, which in its compelling power and decorative and realistic elements is well in advance of anything he has hitherto achieved. He possesses a fine decorative sense of what a picture should be." (The Glasgow Herald, 17 December 1925)
Still Life with Rose and Chinese Vase is a superb example from this experimental period where the overall cool colour resonates with the boldly coloured pink rose and fruit to wonderful effect. The pattern injected into the design brilliantly harmonises the whole.
A similar painting, Still Life with Apples and a Rose, exists in the Hunterian Art Gallery, University of Glasgow [GLAHA: 43908].
Bonhams would like to thank Jill Marriner for her assistance with this footnote.