Emma Fordyce MacRae

Proceeds from the painting's sale will go directly to Alzheimer's Research UK, Britain's leading dementia research charity, and will help fund research on Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia.

Provenance:

The Artist

The Estate of the Artist

By descent in the family of the Artist

Private Collection, United Kingdom

Lot Note:

In this still life, Emma Fordyce MacRae demonstrates her distinctive compositional approach: collapsing spatial boundaries to create an intimate visual field where foreground and background interlace. As seen in other works, MacRae often avoided giving viewers specific spatial cues. Here, a vase of zinnias, vibrantly rendered in tones of red, purple, white, and orange, dominates the composition. Yet behind it, a reproduction of a Titian painting—namely Venus with a Mirror (now in Washington D.C.’s National Gallery)—acts not just as décor but as a compositional element, embedding the scene within a layered visual and art-historical context. Through this integration of another artwork into her composition, MacRae subtly engages in a dialogue with art history, all while centering a modern, feminine domesticity that reclaims such imagery on her own terms.

In overall very good condition. Slight undulation to canvas present at upper right corner. Very light craquelure present throughout but in stable condition. Pinpricks of light shine through canvas in localized areas due to lose weave of canvas, please note this is generally unobtrusive to image area and likely inherent to work. No apparent issues under UV. Additional images available upon request.
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