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Edward Burra
Izzy Orts
1937Dancing couples play a prominent role in this vibrant image of a crowded venue - the Izzy Orts bar in Boston, USA. Yet the feeling of pleasure and enjoyment conveyed by the dancers jars with the blank-eyed stare of the sailor in the foreground. Isolated and detached, this figure adds an unsettling note to the lively scene, inviting comparison with the serious theme explored in Poussin's much earlier drawing.
The English painter Edward Burra frequented various dockside bars and dance halls while visiting Boston in 1937, attracted by their shady atmosphere and dubious clientele. His active interest in such places, and the insights they gave him into the human condition, are both evident in this enigmatic watercolour.
- Glossary (2 terms)
- Open
Medium/ media
The material from which an artwork is made, e.g. oil paint, bronze, paper. 'Medium' is also used for the liquid element of paint in which a colouring agent is carried. 'Mixed media' is used when an artist combines several different materials in an artwork.
Watercolour
A paint with colouring and binding agents diluted with water. It has a transparent quality and is usually applied to paper.
- Glossary (4 terms)
- Open
Collage
An image constructed from found materials, such as photographs, paper or fabric, glued to a surface, sometimes with additional painted or drawn elements. It is an art form particularly associated with Dada and Surrealism.
Medium/ media
The material from which an artwork is made, e.g. oil paint, bronze, paper. 'Medium' is also used for the liquid element of paint in which a colouring agent is carried. 'Mixed media' is used when an artist combines several different materials in an artwork.
Surrealism
A literary and artistic movement founded by the poet André Breton in 1924. Many of the associated artists, such as Max Ernst and Jean Arp, had previously been involved with Dadaism. The movement sought to challenge conventions through the exploration of the subconscious mind, invoking the power of dreams and elements of chance. Cultural hierarchies were challenged by the combination of diverse elements in collages and sculptural assemblages. The movement is also notable for the collaborations between artists and writers evident in the Surrealists' many publications.
Watercolour
A paint with colouring and binding agents diluted with water. It has a transparent quality and is usually applied to paper.
- Credits Purchased 1980
- Medium Watercolour and pencil on paper
- Size 73.60 x 104.50 cm
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- ? Estate Of The Artist c/o Lefevre Fine Art Ltd, London
