Beschreibung:

STILL LIFE (TABLE WITH BREAD AND FRUIT), 1975 Patrick Collins HRHA (1910-1994)
Signature: signed and dated lower right Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: 24 x 27in. (60.96 x 68.58cm) Provenance: Northern Bank collection; Private collection Exhibited: Literature: Collins had brief stays in France but in 1971, wanting to get away from the claustrophobic atmosphere of the art scene in Ireland, he moved to France, where he lived until 1976. He initially stayed in... n Paris where finances were so stretched that he was often on the point of starvation. Collins stayed in hotel rooms, slept on people's floors and even slept rough, so it is not surprising that his artistic output was low. Things changed significantly when he moved to Orne, Normandy, in 1973, living in a secluded farmhouse with a stable, where he could paint. Still Life (Table with Bread and Fruit) was made during this period of stability in his life, where France begins to take hold. This painting has a warmth and airy lightness, Collins discarding the brooding atmosphere of his earlier Irish pictures. The mist has evaporated under a fresh, bright light, with colours now having a lively intensity. The yellow of the dish and the orange accents provided by the fruit and bread are deliciously appealing. Still Life has elements which are characteristic of the best of his work. The table is flattened so that its blue edge becomes a frame within a frame, separating art from reality and, compositionally, creating visual tension between edge and centre. The knife draws our eye toward the left edge while the bread pulls to the right, giving the composition a rotating movement that pivots around the central disc shape. We can also see how light emanates from the empty spaces around objects, so that the entire surface pulsates with energy. This period in France had a permanent effect so that, even when Collins came back to live in Ireland, the heavy fog of the late 'sixties never returned and his paintings continued to embrace the clarity and definition that can be seen in Still Life. Frances Ruane, HRHA September 2017 more