Mount St Hilarion, Cyprus

Artist David Bomberg (Birmingham, England, 1890 - 1957)

Date1948

Mediumoil on canvas

ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings

DimensionsHeight: 72.5 cm, Width: 92.5 cm
Frame Size: 89.6 × 118cm

AcquisitionPurchased in 1963 with income from the Macdonald Bequest.

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDAG002179

Keywords

About MeDavid Bomberg, the fifth child of a Polish immigrant, spent his earliest years in Birmingham and then grew up in the Whitechapel area of London. His early paintings took the East End of London as their starting point, and he strove to achieve angular, clear-cut forms. He drew his inspiration from cubism, futurism and Vorticism. Despite his early success in his career as one of the most innovative British avant-garde artist, Bomberg's outlook was impelled by his bitter experiences during the First World War.

From the 1930s, the artist travelled to the USSR, Morocco, Spain and Greece. Bomberg's painting reached its climax in Cyprus, where his search for 'the spirit in the mass' resulted in fiery paintings, such as this dramatic view of St. Hilarion the "romantic fortresses," which overlooks the strategically vital pass between Nicosia and Kyrenia.

This is a fine example of Bomberg's later works where he moved away from the meticulous style of his earlier landscapes to achieve a more forceful, free and expressive style of painting, and the characteristics of his mature works are vigorous brushmarks, applied swiftly to the canvas which gives a powerful sense of physical energy.

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The pronounced brushstrokes, thick paint and multiple colours give texture to this painting. It feels like the artist might have been angry when he painted it!

Exhibitions

Paradise Lost