item details
Overview
Douglas MacDiarmid was known for his love of colour, and his skill as a draughtsman. This oil painting shows his wonderfully fluid lines – particularly in the shapes of the red petals, which seem to have been drawn with the paintbrush.
Born in Taihape, MacDiarmid went to university in Ōtautahi Christchurch where he studied music, languages and philosophy. He was self-taught as a painter, and became friends with many artists living in the city at the time, including Rita Angus (1908-1970) and Evelyn Page (1899-1988).
As a young man, MacDiarmid left Aotearoa for France. He spent most of the rest of his life in Paris, working as an artist. It is not clear how exactly this flower study made it from France to New Zealand, but MacDiarmid would often post bundles of paintings back to friends in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, to be sold in local galleries.
Reference: Anna Cahill, Colours of a life. The life and times of Douglas MacDiarmid (Auckland, 2018)