In 1940 Ivon Hitchens moved to Sussex with his wife and young son, following the bombing of their London home. This painting fuses together interior and exterior views of the artist?s studio, `Greenleaves?. The artist?s son John is shown playing in a sandpit outside. Hitchens? paintings are characterised by the use of flat areas of colour and the creation of depth through the modulation of colour. Here he has used the technique of incising into the paint, probably with the end of a paintbrush. This adds detail to the work, as well as creating a sense of linear perspective which is unusual in Hitchens? work.
Ivon Hitchens (English, 1893 - 1979)
Hitchens was born in London and studied at St John?s Wood School of Art and at the Royal Academy Schools. In 1940, he moved to West Sussex, where he was to spend the rest of his life. There, he was able to distance himself from artistic trends and immerse himself in nature, which was his greatest inspiration. Preferring to paint outdoors, Hitchens is known primarily for his atmospheric landscape paintings, which depict a mysterious and evocative countryside. With a sensual and painterly use of colour, Hitchens had a strong feeling for place but his paintings balance an emotional response with structure. Influenced by Cezanne, Hitchens? brushwork and handling of paint are integral to the meaning of his paintings.