Stephen Heigh Art

“Still Life, 1936” by Katharine "Kitty" Duff Church (British, 1910-1999). This large, early painting by Katherine Church is among her finest canvases of the period. Characterized by its bold color palette, simplified forms, and expressive brushwork, this composition centers around a tabletop adorned with various objects: potted plants, a ceramic dish, bottles, and what appear to be books or papers. The two potted plants provide contrasting elements: on the left, what appears to be a cyclamen with red blossoms and delicate leaves, and on the right, a lush green plant with darker foliage. These plants, painted with loose, textured strokes, add an organic quality to the otherwise structured arrangement. The tabletop is cluttered yet thoughtfully composed, featuring additional objects like a clear, faceted glass bowl, a small bottle, and books or pads in striking red and green. The dynamic use of color blocks and the juxtaposition of shapes (round pots against rectangular books) create a sense of rhythm and harmony. The background is darker and less defined, emphasizing the brightly lit tabletop. Church's brushwork is gestural and modernist, leaning toward abstraction, challenging traditional still life conventions. This painting reflects Church’s interest in balancing everyday objects with bold artistic expression. It conveys both the simplicity and complexity of daily life, transforming an ordinary moment into a vibrant and engaging work of art. This work is oil on canvas and is signed and dated in the lower right. It is housed in its original gessoed frame and retains various labels and inscriptions on the reverse. Size: 28.25 inches tall by 36 inches wide (painting) 34 inches tall by 42 inches wide by 2 inches deep (frame) Provenance: Private collection, NY; Acquired from the above About the artist: Born in Highgate, north London, Katharine Church, known as ‘Kitty’ amongst friends and family, always wanted to paint. She trained at the Royal Academy of Arts between 1930-1933 and at the Slade between 1933 and 1934. In her early years Kitty exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy. Her first solo exhibition was in 1933 at the Wertheim Gallery. Other artists who exhibited there included Christopher Wood, Victor Pasmore and Cedric Morris. Kitty also showed with the New English Art Club, the London Group and between 1937-1947 her work was exhibited at the influential Lefevre Gallery, which supported avant-garde artists such as Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth. In 1954 the artist was invited to take part in the Figures in their setting exhibition held at the Tate Gallery. Henry Tonks and Philip Wilson Steer had a strong influence on Kitty’s early work, but it was her friendship with Ivon Hitchens that liberated her painting technique. In 1936 Kitty married Anthony West, the son of writers Rebecca West and H.G. Wells. The couple initially lived in London before moving to Quarry Farm, Chicksgrove, Tisbury, near Salisbury, where they brought up their children Caroline and Edmund. There they hosted many of their friends, including the New Zealand painter Frances Hodgkins. Other regular visitors before the War included John and Mywafany Piper, Ralph and Frances Partridge, Noel and Catharine Carrington, Julian Trevelyan and Mary Fedden. For many of those who visited Kitty would organise painting expeditions. After the war Kitty and Anthony separated, with Anthony moving to the United States. Anthony West moved to the United States to work as a journalist for The New Yorker. In the early years after their parting Kitty visited most years with the children. In the 1960s Kitty purchased Sutton House and ran the Hambledon Gallery at Blandford Forum. There she promoted the work of her early art-school friends Mary Fedden and Julian Trevelyan, alongside work by the Pipers, John Craxton...

A Colorful, 1930s Modern Autumn-Themed Still Life Painting with a Pumpkin by Notable Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Completed in the vibrant, painterly style for wh...

A large, vibrant 1940s American Modernist still life painting of a cast iron pot, squash and ladle by notable Chicago woman artist. Flora Schofield. Oil on canvas, dating circa 1947. Artwork size: 28 1/2 x 20 inches. Framed size: 34 x 26 inches. Signed "Schofield" lower left. A avid painter, print maker and sculptor, Flora Schofield (Schoenfield), was born in Lanark, Illinois in 1871. She studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and taught Saturday classes there until 1904. Schoenfield also studied with Charles Hawthorne, B.J.O Nordfeldt and William Zorach in Provincetown, Massachusetts. She studied with Albert Gleizes, Fernand Leger and Natalia Goncharova in Paris, France. In 1923, Schofield’s abstractions caused a split at the venerable Chicago Society of Artists. When her artwork was was accepted by the jury, the notable Impressionist painter Pauline Palmer and the notable Modernist painter Carl Hoeckner got into a row that ended-up splitting the group. The Impressionists then broke away into their own organization called the ”Association of Chicago Painters and Sculptors”. Paintings by Flora Schofield have been exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia; the Salon d’Automne and Salon de Independants, Paris; the Salons of America; the Society of Independent Artists, New York; the Wichita Museum of Art, Wichita; Gallery Carmine, Paris; the National Arts Club Galleries, New York; Marshall Fields Galleries...

Asters ~ 1970, oil on canvas, 55x80 cm Laimdots Murnieks has said: "I am a sunny artist. The sun and a woman are the center of the world. It is not for nothing that the sun always...

This beautiful oil on linen canvas painting, entitled "Rail Crossing: Middletown, was executed by the esteemed artist Jules Halfant (American, 1909-2001)...

Mid Century Modern Abstract Landscape - San Francisco Hills in the Fog Beautiful mid-century modern abstract landscape evoking ...

A striking, bold colourist painting by Vietnamese artist Ngoc Dung (1931-2000), dating from circa 1960. His highly individualistic art is hard to categorise. In the artist"s own wor...

A Serene 1930s Modern Studio Still Life Painting of Yellow Bananas in a Decorative Antique French Faience Porcelain Compote by Notable Chic...

A Fabulous, 1930s Modern Still Life Painting with a Wine Glass, Pineapple and Coconut by Notable Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Completed in the vibrant, Paris Scho...

A Fabulous, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Still Life Painting of a Colorful Bouquet of Spring Flowers by Notable Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Completed in the vibrant,...

A charming 1950s modernist oil on canvas by Claude Richard Mazier (France, 1926–2011), this composition captures a poetic village scene where architecture and nature merge into a dre...

A Captivating, Mid-Century Floral Still Life of Red Roses by Rudolph T. Pen. With wonderful color and brushwork, executed with the unique, Modern perspective for which Pen's Post-Wa...