Colin Harrison RHA (b.1939) Heiligster Minne Hochste Not Oil canvas laid on board, 50 x 63cm Signed, inscribed and dated 1984 verso In 1969 Colin Harrison was invited by the legendary Leo Smith...
Colin Harrison RHA (b.1939) Heiligster Minne Hochste Not Oil canvas laid on board, 50 x 63cm Signed, inscribed and dated 1984 verso In 1969 Colin Harrison was invited by the legendary Leo Smith to exhibit at the now-defunct Drawls Gallery where his work aroused great interest and established him as one of the most important painters of his generation. Frequently Harrison's exhibitions consist of paintings with a recurring theme. The current work is one of the 'Wagner' series, reflecting the painter's response to visits with his wife, Anne, to the Bayreuth Wagnerian festival. The title, which translates as Hoilest Love's Highest Need, is a quote from The Valkerie. The work shows the nude figure of Anne, the painter's wife, standing in profile against a recreation of 'The Isle of the Dead' by Bocklin while in the upper right hand section of the painting there emerges a recreation of von Carolsfeld's 'Lovers' Leap', both men being leading painters of the 19th century school of German Romanticism. A red mist has emerged from the surface of the Bocklin canvas to surround the nude so that she is involved in a dream that is both inviting and myth-driven. The recreation of old master motifs is one of the key elements of Colin Harrison's work, as is his mastery of perspective shown here in the stunning painting of an open door (note the painting of the bolt). The painter depicts reality using the piece of furniture carrying an impeccably painted lamp and framed photograph, both reflected in its surface. This is a rare opportunity to buy an important work by Harrison. Tony Hickey.