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Lot Essay
In 1955, William Scott reverted to painting still life compositions, away from the three year period of near abstraction which preceded it. He began by painting a number of small compositions with pears and saucepans as the key elements. Norbert Lynton discusses this important series, 'Generally they are close-ups, presenting us with a few relatively large objects - not at all the swarming, anonymous things we see in his larger paintings of 1956-7. Yet naturalism is not the aim, but rather a tighter, more integrated kind of composition ... Boldly brushed-in black outlines establish the presence of these objects in a tight, up front arrangement in whites and greys with a hint of orange. The pear becomes an assertive presence pressed up against the saucepan' (see N. Lynton, William Scott, London, 2004, p. 147).
A few years afterwards in his British Council lecture in 1958 the artist commented on another work in this series, Composition I: Pots and Pears (1955), 'The pots and pears in this picture have certain shapes that have come about very slowly through the years, they've evolved from my earlier paintings. Perhaps they are very fundamental shapes. Some people may feel there's some kind of erotic feel about them. If that's so, it's probably due to my love for the primitive and for the elemental' (ibid., p. 148).
Sarah Whitfield discusses White Pot and Pears: 'In early 1972 Scott helped Hugh Strutton buy back Fish on a Plate (cat. no. 153) by exchanging the work Scott had given him for a wedding present, Abstract in Black, Blue and White (cat. no. A170) for the present painting which Strutton was able to sell to Crane Kalman. In a letter of 13 February 1972 Strutton gratefully accepted Scott's offer of an exchange, referring to the present work as 'White Pot & Pears'' (S. Whitfield, op. cit.).
A few years afterwards in his British Council lecture in 1958 the artist commented on another work in this series, Composition I: Pots and Pears (1955), 'The pots and pears in this picture have certain shapes that have come about very slowly through the years, they've evolved from my earlier paintings. Perhaps they are very fundamental shapes. Some people may feel there's some kind of erotic feel about them. If that's so, it's probably due to my love for the primitive and for the elemental' (ibid., p. 148).
Sarah Whitfield discusses White Pot and Pears: 'In early 1972 Scott helped Hugh Strutton buy back Fish on a Plate (cat. no. 153) by exchanging the work Scott had given him for a wedding present, Abstract in Black, Blue and White (cat. no. A170) for the present painting which Strutton was able to sell to Crane Kalman. In a letter of 13 February 1972 Strutton gratefully accepted Scott's offer of an exchange, referring to the present work as 'White Pot & Pears'' (S. Whitfield, op. cit.).