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This brooding still-life was painted at Benton End during the Second World War and is one of Morris’ most enigmatic works from this date.

In this painting Morris explores the still-life genre with sophistication and an intimate understanding of the importance of harmonious relationships between colour and form. The intuitive arrangement of objects within the work is a testament to Morris’ keen eye for successful juxtaposition. The zinc-covered table upon which the ornaments rest can be seen in another work from this date entitled Iris Seedlings (Tate).[1]

The East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing was open all year between 1939 and the winter of 1946.[2] Ordinarily the school was open from April to October each year with a period of rest in which Morris and Lett travelled extensively. In 1944, the school at Benton End was in full swing and Morris, in painting this work, turned away from explicitly depicting the garden in order to capture a quiet moment of interior order. It is a work bound to life at Benton End during the war and one that is one of Morris’ most enduring in spirit and composition.

[1]G Reynolds and D Grace (eds.) Benton End Remembered: Cedric Morris, Arthur Lett-Haines and the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing (Norwich: Unicorn Press, 2002) p. 17
[2] Letter from Arthur Lett-Haines to Mrs McGregor Mills in Mexico, dated 19th November 1946 [Tate Archive: 8317.1.3.70]