Wolmark, Alfred
Alfred Wolmark was a painter and designer of pottery and stained glass. Having moved to England from Poland, aged six, he went on to study at the Royal Academy Schools and became one of the pioneers of post-impressionism in England. His early figurative work depicted scenes of Jewish life in East London. In 1910, however, there was a dramatic change of direction in his painting as he began producing expressive works similar in style to those of Van Gogh and Gauguin. Their work had been included in Roger Fry’s famous post-impressionist exhibition in London in November 1910, the first of its kind in Britain, although it is not known if Wolmark was aware of the exhibition or the two artists at this time. Wolmark remained independent of the many avant-garde movements of the day, believing instead in his own creed that ‘the basis of painting must primarily be form and colour’ and stating that his ambition was to ‘fill great wall spaces with mosaics of glowing colour that speak to the mind like inspired music.’ Woman with a Bowl of Fruit, with its flattened, stylised design and vivid colour, is typical of his work during this period.
- Artwork Details: 61 x 50.8cm
- Edition:
- Material description: oil on canvas
- Credit line: © the Estate of Alfred Wolmark
- Theme: Figurative
- Medium: Painting
- Accession number: AC 482