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Two Jugs, Flowers and Conch Shell

Artist: Gillies, William George, Sir, CBE RA RSA PPRSW · 1898-1973

Two Jugs, Flowers and Conch Shell

Still life paintings set up in his home at Temple occupied much of Gillies' time and became increasingly concerned with the formal structure of the…

Still life paintings set up in his home at Temple occupied much of Gillies' time and became increasingly concerned with the formal structure of the overall composition.

The table surface is tilted almost tot he vertical and it is unclear whether it occupies simply the space across the lower half of the image, or whether the dark flat background in the upper half is a continuation of it also.

The unusual use of white outline for the two jugs help to unify the overall composition with its significant areas of light-toned paint including down the left edge, the fruit bowl at lower left and the cloth on which the conch shell sits.

© Royal Scottish Academy of Art & Architecture