Chrysanthemums

Notes

'Tretchikoff described his style as 'symbolic realism'. And nowhere was this more prominent than in his flower studies. He first painted flowers in Java, enchanted by the rainbow-like colours of the cannas in his garden. But his fascination with flowers had probably started much earlier, in the Far East. In Chinese culture, each flower symbolises a quality or idea. Flowers are always found on Buddhist altars. The graceful shapes of Chinese vases, emblems of harmony, reproduce the curves of a woman's body.'¹

^1. Boris Gorelik (2013) Incredible Tretchikoff: Life of an Artist and Adventurer, United Kingdom: Art Books Publishing Ltd, page 141.

Provenance

Acquired from the artist by the previous owner.

Private Collection.