The straw hat
1924
In this vibrant 1924 modernist portrait, a woman sits with a calm, direct gaze beneath an enormous, checkered straw hat adorned with a bright sunflower. Her pink slip slides casually off one shoulder, exposing her breast, while a bold red skirt anchors the composition. To her left, a colorful parrot perches near an apple and a green teacup, adding a touch of whimsical still-life to the intimate scene. Gertler, a British painter known for his turbulent personal life and association with the Bloomsbury Group, shifted toward these flatter, more decorative styles in his later years, moving away from the angular intensity of his earlier masterpieces like 'Merry-Go-Round'.
- Technique
- Oil painting