Mid Century Still Life Oil Painting in Jade and Burgundy, Eggs and Pussy Willow

This mid century still life oil on board sets a jade glass bowl, cradling two white eggs, on a pink rimmed plate. A third egg rests on the white tablecloth below, as if it rolled away while nobody was looking. Behind, a tall spray of pussy willow on bright red stems fills the corner, and a woven wicker basket spills over with fresh green leaves.

We love the contrast of that bright jade against the deep burgundy background, picked up again in the red of the twigs and the flash of red table leg peeping out beneath the cloth. The paint is handled with confidence and plenty of texture. You can see it in the thick dabs that make up each fluffy willow catkin, the loose strokes of light across the glass, and the soft shadows folded into the linen.

The painting measures 67 x 43 cm including its frame. It is presented in its original limed wooden frame, flecked with red to echo the palette, with a white inner slip and light wear in keeping with its age. It is indistinctly signed to the top left.

With its eggs, glassware and basket, this is a painting made for the kitchen. It is a generous size that can hold its own above a range, a dresser or a long kitchen table. Style it with green glass, a stoneware jug of branches and a stack of mismatched plates, or let it bring some colour to a room of soft neutrals, where the jade and burgundy supply all the drama you need. It would be equally at home in a dining room or above a sideboard. 

A joyful, painterly still life that brings colour and warmth into any room, whatever the season.