Ceri Richards

Circular Bases

1961

© The estate of Ceri Richards

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Not on display

Artist: Ceri Richards 1903–1971
Medium: Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions: Support: 1270 x 1270 mm
frame: 1295 x 1295 x 51 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Purchased 1963
Reference: T00595

Catalogue entry

T00595 CIRCULAR BASES 1961

Not inscribed.
Canvas, 50×50 (127×127).
Purchased from the Marlborough New London Gallery (Grant-in-Aid) 1963.
Exh: Marlborough New London Gallery, June–July 1963 (31).

One of the ‘Cathédrale engloutie’ series, inspired by Debussy's music of that name, this painting was probably completed early in 1961. The artist, in reply to an inquiry from the compiler, thought that it differed from others in the series in the quality of its technique: ‘It is heavily painted because the progress of the technique and feeling had produced a situation of form and colour which meant that the handling had to be strong and broad and at the same time possess subtlety of form and colour.

‘These canvases are hardly completely complete - I never know how many manifestations of painting acts a canvas should have on it - there is always another shot at achieving the right number of marks for the right occasion - searching for the successful mutation so to speak.’ (Letter of 30 July 1963.)

Published in:
Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture, London 1964, II