Edward Burra

Alex. Reid & Lefevre Ltd, London
Sale, Christie's London, 8th November 1985, lot 258, where acquired by the present owners

'...perhaps the most pungent thing Burra has ever given us, because they are more subtle pictorially than the subject pictures: they are also more vividly, more intensely, striking and disturbing, precisely because they need nothing other than their spiky shapes and clashing colours to make them so.' (David Sylvester reviewing an exhibition of Burra's flower and still life subjects, New Statesman, 25th May 1957, quoted in Andrew Causey, Edward Burra, The Complete Catalogue, Phaidon, Oxford, 1985, p.73)

The sheet has been fully laid down to board. There are Artist's pinholes visible in the upper and lower corners. The sheet extends very slightly beyond the board at the upper and lower edges, and there are accordingly a few minor abrasions to the sheet in places, none of which are visible in the present frame. There is a small repaired tear, approximately 2cm in length, running horizontally from the lower right vertical edge, and another of similar length along the upper vertical edge, both of which are partly visible in the present frame. There is a very minor crease at the extreme lower right corner, not visible in the present frame. There are a few water marks, including spots to the leaves near the upper centre, which appear to be in keeping with the Artist's technique. There is a light scuff to the centre of the work. There are scattered small specks of studio detritus, including some debris to a leaf near the centre of the right edge. Subject to the above the work is in very good overall condition, with strong bright colours throughout. The work is held within a moulded gilt wood frame under glass. Please telephone the department on +44 207 6424 if you have any questions.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Turning away from the brutal and often grotesque figurative scenes that had occupied much of his early output, by the 1950s Burra took a new direction in his approach, exploring the theatricality of the still life genre, in particular focusing on floral scenes. These richly coloured compositions, exploring the strangeness of the everyday that so captivated the artist, proved financially viable, selling consistently well through his London dealers. They were bright, bountiful and full of the hope that so abounded in London in the early 1950s. They suited an audience that had had its fill of the horrors and brutal atrocities that had only really emerged following the liberation of occupied Europe, yet allowed Burra a vehicle through which he could explore further the wild and disturbing narratives that had occupied him previously. These were not merely decorative still lifes, as David Sylvester noted in his 1957 review of Burra’s recent exhibition at Alex. Reid & Lefevre. Sylvester describes ‘the drama in the flowerpieces … perhaps the most pungent thing Burra has ever given us … more vividly, more intensely, striking and disturbing, precisely because they need nothing other than their spikey shapes and clashing colours to make them so’ (New Statesman, 25^th May 1957, quoted in Andrew Causey, Edward Burra: The Complete Catalogue, Phaidon, Oxford, 1985, p.73).

In contrast to much of his other work, Burra's still lifes were painted from life, and Laurels is depicted in great detail. There is no doubting the influence of seventeenth-century Dutch still life painting when looking at the close attention to detail and focus on surface texture as well as the use of a dark monotone background. The lush foliage of the leaves burst forth with a life and energy from the constraints of the simple highly polished vase, and imbues these apparently disparate objects with a quality of surrealism every bit as unsettling as Burra's more fanciful imagery.