Items Similar to “Still Life, 1936” by Katharine "Kitty" Duff Church British Modern Oil Signed
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 22
Katharine "Kitty" Duff Church“Still Life, 1936” by Katharine "Kitty" Duff Church British Modern Oil Signed1936
1936
$4,950
£3,772.98
€4,351.73
CA$7,030.48
A$7,554.99
CHF 4,053.69
MX$88,993.17
NOK 50,970.66
SEK 46,561.37
DKK 32,523.13
About the Item
“Still Life, 1936” by Katharine "Kitty" Duff Church (British, 1910-1999).
This large, early painting by Katherine Church is among her finest canvases of the period. Characterized by its bold color palette, simplified forms, and expressive brushwork, this composition centers around a tabletop adorned with various objects: potted plants, a ceramic dish, bottles, and what appear to be books or papers.
The two potted plants provide contrasting elements: on the left, what appears to be a cyclamen with red blossoms and delicate leaves, and on the right, a lush green plant with darker foliage. These plants, painted with loose, textured strokes, add an organic quality to the otherwise structured arrangement.
The tabletop is cluttered yet thoughtfully composed, featuring additional objects like a clear, faceted glass bowl, a small bottle, and books or pads in striking red and green. The dynamic use of color blocks and the juxtaposition of shapes (round pots against rectangular books) create a sense of rhythm and harmony.
The background is darker and less defined, emphasizing the brightly lit tabletop. Church's brushwork is gestural and modernist, leaning toward abstraction, challenging traditional still life conventions.
This painting reflects Church’s interest in balancing everyday objects with bold artistic expression. It conveys both the simplicity and complexity of daily life, transforming an ordinary moment into a vibrant and engaging work of art.
This work is oil on canvas and is signed and dated in the lower right. It is housed in its original gessoed frame and retains various labels and inscriptions on the reverse.
Size:
28.25 inches tall by 36 inches wide (painting)
34 inches tall by 42 inches wide by 2 inches deep (frame)
Provenance:
Private collection, NY;
Acquired from the above
About the artist:
Born in Highgate, north London, Katharine Church, known as ‘Kitty’ amongst friends and family, always wanted to paint. She trained at the Royal Academy of Arts between 1930-1933 and at the Slade between 1933 and 1934. In her early years Kitty exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy. Her first solo exhibition was in 1933 at the Wertheim Gallery. Other artists who exhibited there included Christopher Wood, Victor Pasmore and Cedric Morris. Kitty also showed with the New English Art Club, the London Group and between 1937-1947 her work was exhibited at the influential Lefevre Gallery, which supported avant-garde artists such as Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth. In 1954 the artist was invited to take part in the Figures in their setting exhibition held at the Tate Gallery.
Henry Tonks and Philip Wilson Steer had a strong influence on Kitty’s early work, but it was her friendship with Ivon Hitchens that liberated her painting technique.
In 1936 Kitty married Anthony West, the son of writers Rebecca West and H.G. Wells. The couple initially lived in London before moving to Quarry Farm, Chicksgrove, Tisbury, near Salisbury, where they brought up their children Caroline and Edmund. There they hosted many of their friends, including the New Zealand painter Frances Hodgkins. Other regular visitors before the War included John and Mywafany Piper, Ralph and Frances Partridge, Noel and Catharine Carrington, Julian Trevelyan and Mary Fedden. For many of those who visited Kitty would organise painting expeditions. After the war Kitty and Anthony separated, with Anthony moving to the United States.
Anthony West moved to the United States to work as a journalist for The New Yorker. In the early years after their parting Kitty visited most years with the children.
In the 1960s Kitty purchased Sutton House and ran the Hambledon Gallery at Blandford Forum. There she promoted the work of her early art-school friends Mary Fedden and Julian Trevelyan, alongside work by the Pipers, John Craxton, Leonard Rosoman, Keith Vaughan, Mary Potter and Cecil Beaton; she also supported a wide range of local artists.
While busying herself at the gallery Kitty never stopped painting. In the 80s her work was included in the exhibition John Piper and British New-Romantics at the National Museum of Wales. In 1988 John Duncalfe arranged a retrospective of her work at his gallery in Harrogate and was key in arranging her participation in the Harrogate International Festival in 1990. Kitty’s zest for painting and art never ceased and she remained active even in her later years.
Condition: Good overall condition. Scattered minor surface accretions and tiny losses, primarily along perimeter of the work. Pinhole sized puncture upper center. Slight undulation to the surface. Frame with losses and wear throughout. It is ready to be displayed and enjoyed!
- Creator:Katharine "Kitty" Duff Church (1910 - 1999, British)
- Creation Year:1936
- Dimensions:Height: 34 in (86.36 cm)Width: 42 in (106.68 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement Style:
- Period:
- Condition:Good overall condition. Scattered minor surface accretions and tiny losses, primarily along perimeter of the work. Pinhole sized puncture upper center. Slight undulation to the surface. Frame with losses and wear throughout.
- Gallery Location:Yardley, PA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2911217274592
About the Seller
New to 1stDibs
Joined in the past six months.
No Reviews Yet
Vetted Professional Seller
Every seller passes strict standards for authenticity and reliability
Established in 2013
1stDibs seller since 2025
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Yardley, PA
- Return Policy
More From This Seller
View All“Untitled, 1946” New Hope Modernist Small Abstract Bucks County Lambertville NJ
By Louis Stone
Located in Yardley, PA
“Untitled, 1946” by Louis K. Stone (1902-1984).
A strong and charming example of mid-century American modernism by one of the most important artists working in New Hope, PA. This wa...
Category
1940s American Modern Abstract Paintings
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
“Crossroads, c. 1940” WPA Polish-American Expressionist Modernist Oil Signed
By Sol Wilson
Located in Yardley, PA
“Crossroads, c. 1940” by Sol Wilson (Polish-American, 1896-1974).
This expressive painting by Wilson depicts a moody village crossroads rendered with his signature textured brushwor...
Category
1940s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
“Early Morning, 1999” by Anna Brelsford Mccoy Sunlit Bedroom Interior Oil Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
A serene and exquisitely composed work that captures the quiet poetry of a sunlit bedroom in the early hours of daybreak. A descendant of the renowned Wyeth artistic dynasty, McCoy h...
Category
1990s American Realist Interior Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
“Bermuda Coast” Henrietta Dunn Mears American Impressionist Oil on Board Signed
By Henrietta Dunn Mears
Located in Yardley, PA
A vibrant Bermuda seascape depicting the rocky shoreline with turquoise waters breaking against sunlit boulders beneath a sweeping tree. Mears uses bold, textured brushstrokes and a ...
Category
20th Century American Impressionist Landscape Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
“Washington Square Park, 1938” NYC Social Realism Female American Artist Oil
By Dorothy Eisner
Located in Yardley, PA
An exceptional, large, early work by American artist Dorothy Eisner (1906-1984).
This painting was recently exhibited at Gracie Mansion in 2019 as part of “She Persists” - a show de...
Category
1930s American Modern Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Receding Flood, 1959" African American Abstract Expressionist Oil Connecticut
Located in Yardley, PA
An exceptional, early work by important Connecticut-based artist Clifford Mitchell, Jr. (1925-2005).
This fantastic abstract expressionist compositi...
Category
1950s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
Materials
Masonite, Oil
You May Also Like
Still Life, 1947
Located in Indianapolis, IN
Kae Dorn Cass was born in 1901 and remained a life-long Clevelander. She was a survivor of the 1908 Collinwood Elementary School fire which killed her sister and 171 other children. ...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Impressionist Still-life Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Gouache
A Modern 1930s Art Institute Exhibited Still Life Painting by Francis Chapin
By Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A unique and captivating 1930s Modern still life painting featuring a derby hat, wine bottle, books and bowl of fruit by artist Francis Chapin. Titled "Still Life with Derby" the pa...
Category
1930s American Modern Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Still Life, Anstruther, Oil on Board Painting by John Houston, 1953
By John Houston
Located in Kingsclere, GB
Still Life, Anstruther, Oil on Board Painting by John Houston 1930-2008, 1953
Additional information:
Medium: Oil on board
31.5 x 41.5 cm
12 3/8 x 16 3/8 in
Signed and dated
Proven...
Category
20th Century Still-life Paintings
Materials
Board, Oil
Still Life - Oil on canvas by Gastone Breddo - Mid-20th Century
By Gastone Breddo
Located in Roma, IT
Still life is an artwork realzied by Gastone Breddo in the second half of 90s. Painting from the artist's workshop in Livorno , stamp on the back.
70x 50 cm with frame. Oil on can...
Category
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
Roger Cortet (1910-1978) Still-life with a white sculpture, oil on canvas signed
By Roger Cortet
Located in Paris, FR
Roger Cortet (1910-1978)
Still-life with a white sculpture
Oil on canvas
Signed lower right
64 x 80 cm
Framed : 70 x 85.5 cm
There is a small but inconspicuous hole in the frame groo...
Category
1930s Art Deco Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
George Anthony Butler RCA (1927-2010) British STILL LIFE flowers OIL PAINTING
Located in Cirencester, GB
ARTIST: George Anthony Butler RCA (1927-2010) British
TITLE: "Still Life Composition"
SIGNED: lower right
MEDIUM: oil on canvas
SIZE: 54cm x 40cm inc frame
CONDITION: excellent
DE...
Category
1970s Post-Impressionist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Oil
