Louise Henderson
France / Aotearoa New Zealand, b.1902, d.1994
Grapes and Lilies
- Jan 1955
- Oil on canvas
- Gift of a group of subscribers, 1956
- 665 x 796mm
- 69/84
Tags: abstraction, baskets (containers), blue (color), Cubist, cups (drinking vessels), flowers (plants), fruit, plates (dishes), pots (containers), still lifes, tables (support furniture)
During the 1950s, still life was a key subject for Louise Henderson, through which she developed her increasingly sophisticated modernist vocabulary. Grapes and Lilies exemplifies her mature cubist style, in which objects are abstracted into flat geometric shapes in various tones, resulting in a patchwork effect. The formal complexity of Henderson’s still lifes challenged the assumed restrictiveness of the domestic space. (Louise Henderson: From Life, 2020)
Exhibition History
Ape To Zip: Adventures in Alphabet Art, 13 May 2005 – 8 October 2006
In the exhibition Ape to Zip this work was used for the letter G and was displayed with the following label:
GRAPES Louise Henderson painted this in an abstract style. That means instead of making it look real, she wanted to make an interesting arrangement of colours and shapes. The grapes in a basket are easy to find, but what else can you see? Q: What do a grape and an elephant have in common? A: They're both purple, except for the elephant!
