Girl with Palmettes

Like other members of the Camden Town Group, Drummond was influenced by the vibrant colours used by Post-impressionist artists such as Vincent Van Gogh and Henri Matisse. Patches of bright pigment used to suggest shadow on the face, and the orange band around the sitter’s broad-brimmed hat echo the colours of the palm leaves or ‘palmettes’ in the background. In the early twentieth century, it was customary for women to wear a hat in public places, and the sitter’s clothing is characteristic of the urban middle class. This is thought to be a portrait of Drummond’s wife Zina.