This vibrant study of summer vegetables in a basket was painted at Benton End, the home of Cedric Morris and Arthur Lett-Haines, and is a startling reminder of the artist’s deft ability to fuse colour, pattern, and texture in a manner that was uniquely his own. Still Life in Summer Garden is one of his best-known works from the 1960s and was included in his major retrospective at the Tate in 1984.

Few artists’ residences rival Benton End as a place of unbridled freedom and creativity. During term time, the house and its surroundings were divided into two distinct parts - the artistic, horticultural activities run by Morris, and the gastronomical, social side predominantly governed by Arthur Lett-Haines. Generally, these combined activities worked in unison to become the main hallmarks of life at the house. The students who attended the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing at Benton End attested to its progressive way of life where visitors ‘could garden and work and talk, and where students of all ages could work alongside them.’[1] On occasion, however, tensions arose. In 1969, writing in his diary, Lett commiserated that Benton End ‘tends more daily to be less an artist’s house than a commercial nursery.’ Lett himself rarely ventured into the garden, and when he did, he would return laden with herbs and vegetables for cooking his famous dinners, which took place daily.[2] Lett was an early champion of European cooking at a time when British taste mainly consisted of roasted meats and boiled potatoes and the Mediterranean vegetables depicted here are a reference to his experimental cooking style and the elaborate dinners which were hosted at Benton End.

[1] Neve, C. ‘The Outside: Cedric Morris as Painter and Gardener’, Country Life, vol. 175, 26 April 1984, pp.1167.

[2] H. St. Clair, A Lesson in Art & Life: The Colourful World of Cedric Morris & Arthur Lett-Haines. London: Pimpernel Press, 2019, p.157.