Duncan Grant 1885-1978 Still Life with Staffordshire Figure and Wine Bottle c.1940 Gouache 15 x 21 ½ inches (38.1 x 54.6 cm) This picture relates to a version Grant painted in oils that is at Charleston (see below). However, the present work is much more dynamic, brushing on strokes of gouache in a much more lively, vibrant handling that brings to life the objects Grant has gathered on the sideboard in the dining room at Charleston. Painted during the War in time of ration gives the objects Grant depicts an enhanced sense of significance and meaning - the enjoyment of wine which was becoming ever more difficult to obtain, the simple pleasures of reading at Charleston, the bowl of fruit, and the sentimentality of a Staffordshire figurine couple. |