John Hopwood (1942-2015)
Four Variations on a Theme, St Ives 2000
Oil on canvas; 60.5 x 92 cms
Signed, titled and dated on reverse
A meticulous craftsman, Hopwood was originally well known for his realist portraits and still life paintings. After settling in St Ives in the 1990s, his work became much more abstract whilst maintaining an impeccable regard for materials and composition, as is illustrated in this painting. Here he is exploring the development of a simple theme to the purest form of abstraction.