Flower PieceIvon Hitchens · 1943

Identification of Flower Piece by Ivon Hitchens

Flower Piece is a still life by the British painter Ivon Hitchens. Created in 1943, the work captures a quiet arrangement of objects resting upon a surface. The composition centers on a vase holding red, white, and yellow flowers. Two cups sit near the vessel, while a chair positioned behind the table provides a sense of depth to the scene.

The canvas measures 103 x 69 cm. Within this frame, Hitchens organizes the domestic elements through a play of light and color. The flowers and ceramic pieces occupy a space that feels both structured and immediate. A warmth settles over the table and the objects placed upon it.

The paint settles into the grain of the scene. It is a moment of stillness held in color. A single vase holds the light.

The Composition and Visual Elements

A vase rests upon a table, holding a cluster of red, white, and yellow flowers. These blooms provide the primary rhythm of the scene. Near the vessel, two cups sit in quiet proximity. The arrangement is anchored by the weight of the ceramic and the organic reach of the petals. Behind the table, the silhouette of a chair adds a layer of depth to the interior space.

Light finds the edges of the petals and the smooth surfaces of the cups. The palette relies on bright colors and the presence of natural elements. Each object occupies its own space within the composition, creating a sense of domestic stillness. The interplay of light and shadow defines the form of the vase and the surrounding objects. A quiet stillness settles over the table.

Related Works by the Same Artist

The artist’s exploration of floral forms extends through several distinct compositions. In 1933, he produced Flower Painting, a work that captures a bouquet of pink, yellow, blue, and white petals against a simple backdrop. This piece resides in the Ulster Museum in Ireland. The arrangement of color and shape continues in his 1942 work, Flowers, which is held at the Pallant House Gallery. This composition uses a rhythmic dance of shapes to organize vases, bowls, and cups across the canvas.

Other studies reveal his interest in the interplay of light and botanical life. Patchwork Poppies is held within the collection at The Whitworth in Manchester. His ability to translate the essence of a subject into blocks of pigment is evident in these varied studies of nature. Each work seeks to balance the structure of a vessel with the fluid movement of a petal.

• Flower Painting (1933)
• Flowers (1942)
• Patchwork Poppies

The light settles quietly upon the canvas.

The Artist and His Artistic Style

Born in London, United Kingdom, in 1893, Ivon Hitchens became a prominent British painter during the interwar years. He was a member of the London Group, a circle that pushed the boundaries of visual language. His hand moved between the structured lessons of Cubism and the light-drenched sensibilities of Impressionism. He sought to capture the essence of a place through a technique he called panoramic color. This method relied on large, unbroken blocks of pigment to convey mood rather than meticulous detail.

His palette often mirrored the earth and the woods, utilizing ochres, siennas, and umbers alongside sudden strikes of crimson or gold. He frequently incorporated encaustic wax into his oil paint. This mixture of beeswax and resin added a physical texture to the surface, creating a sheen that caught the light. His compositions often favored asymmetrical arrangements and horizontal bands of color. He looked to the contours of the land and the rhythms of the natural world to inform his shapes. He died in 1979.