Sold for: $29,500

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the Artist by the present Private Collection, Vancouver Island, 1973

LITERATURE
Peter White, Sybil Andrews, Glenbow Museum, 1982, page 26, reproduced page 40 and page 56 full-page in colour
Stephen Coppel, Linocuts of the Machine Age, 1995, reproduced page 114, catalogue #SA 28

EXHIBITED
Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Sybil Andrews, 1982, same image, catalogue #28

In Flower Girls, Sybil Andrews creates a sense of dynamic movement with the repeated angular shapes of the women ascending the steps. The figures have great vitality, and their rich colouration against the background adds to this effect. Andrews’s bold palette was directly influenced by the strong colours in Russian icons that she saw in an exhibition in 1929 at the Victoria and Albert Museum. She went back numerous times to study them, and Peter White states, “This influence is apparent in the combination of deep reds and golden yellow anchored by black that recurs in her linocuts.” Here, Andrews contrasts the yellow and red tones of the lush bunches of flowers and woven baskets against the dark-toned, powerful figures. Andrews often depicted working people in her linocuts, and in this superb print, she imbues the flower sellers with strength, dignity and a sense of determination as they go about their daily activities.

Early impressions of this print are on buff oriental laid paper and late impressions are on thicker oriental paper. This is an excellent impression on buff oriental laid paper.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars