RSA Scottish Art
Two Pots, Saucer and Fruit
 | Artist: William George Gillies |
| Title: Two Pots, Saucer and Fruit | |
| Year: 1933 | |
| Medium: oil on canvas | |
| Dimensions: | |
| Suggested topic: | |
| Source: RSA | |
| View full screen image of this work | |
| Open print version of this work | |
| © the RSA | |
| Description: William George Gillies is known mainly for his dramatic Scottish landscapes but he also enjoyed experimenting through portraiture and still life.The execution of this still life painting of 1930 reminds us of the sombre palette of Gillies's early career. We can see the influence of French painters, in particular Cezanne, through the arrangements of the objects, which are close together and apparently on a tilted-up table top. As in many of his paintings, Gillies seems more interested in the placing of the objects, giving each one its own space with no overlap. This compositional feature takes our attention away from the more traditional issues of perspective and depth and allows us to look at the relationship between the objects. These objects have been simplified, and Gillies isolates them through strong bold outlines or contrasting colours. He is particularly interested in the solidity of the individual shapes and has not included any decorative surface pattern (if there was any). The modelling of each form is bold and executed in a few confident, broad brush strokes.The colours and textures used remind us of Braque and Picasso and are understated browns, off whites and orange.The background has been divided up so that it is almost abstract and Gillies has placed the pot in a space which is ambiguous. It is the same colour as the background area behind the tablecloth but which also seems to continue on the same plane as the tablecloth outlined by a reflective edge behind the pot. This ambiguity reminds us of Matisse's work. | |
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