Keith Vaughan (1912-1977)

Figure in an Orchard dates from the late 1940s or early 1950s when Vaughan produced a series of gouaches and oil paintings depicting labourers and gardeners in country settings, ('Orchard with Figure' (1948); 'Wold Landscape with Figures' (1952); 'Farm Labourers' (1953)). Man in relation to nature was one of Vaughan's central themes and here the figure, perhaps a gardener, wanders through an orchard.

This was a time of experimentation for Vaughan; he was developing his approach to technique and use of media and the combination of gouache, ink and wax crayon was integral to this process. Vaughan's economy of means is striking here especially with his limited palette; he has created expressive colour harmonies made up of only whites, greys and greens.

We are very grateful to Gerard Hastings for preparing the catalogue entries for lots 126 and 127. He is currently working on a book about Keith Vaughan to be published in 2012 (Vaughan's centenary year).