signed and dated lower right
Provenance: Douglas Udell Gallery, Edmonton AB (label verso)
Mary Pratt was a renowned Canadian photorealist painter, celebrated for her captivating, light-filled scenes of everyday domesticity. From a young age, Pratt was fascinated by the interplay of light and color, and her supportive parents encouraged her to explore her artistic talents. By the age of 18, she had enrolled at Mount Allison University to study art under the guidance of esteemed instructors Alex Colville and Lawren P. Harris. Although it wasn’t until the 1970s that Pratt gained recognition for her art, Pratt always continued to make work – finding any time she could as a young mother and housewife to paint.
Beginning in the 1960s, Pratt based her paintings on photographs taken by herself or her then-husband, Christopher Pratt. While initially, she was hesitant to use photographs as references, the use of slides allowed her to capture fleeting moments of light. As she noted, “the light wouldn’t stand still long enough for me to catch it.” (1) In the 80s and 90s, Pratt expanded her practice to incorporate pastels, colored chalk, and watercolors, enabling her to create larger-scale works while also adopting a more comfortable and sustainable artistic process as she aged.
Amaryllis Flower with Two Stone Birds is a quintessential Mary Pratt interior still life. Two stone birds stand sentinel behind the illuminated amaryllis flower, resting gently in a glass dish filled with water. Light pours in from the right side of the picture plane, illuminating the scene with an ethereal glow, highlighting the vibrant orange petals of the amaryllis centerpiece.
1. Sandra Gryn and Gerta Moray, Mary Pratt, 1989, p. 12
