L'heure du thé [Tea time]
Kathleen O'CONNOR: artist
L'heure du thé is one of Kathleen O'Connor's most accomplished paintings, executed in Paris in the late 1920s when she experimented with tempera. At first glance it is a casual teatime setting for two. But there is nothing casual about the composition, which is complex and carefully manipulated. The bright palette of pinks, orange and acid yellow is balanced with the cool rationality of grey and white. Many of her favourite domestic objects are included in the scene. By tilting the table edge forward and using the brightly coloured patterned oriental carpet as a backdrop. O'Connor has closed off any sense of real space. After nearly fifty years working in Paris, from 1906 to 1955, O'Connor eventually returned to Western Australia. The State Art Collection has a comprehensive collection of her work, including paintings, watercolours, drawings and textile designs.
Title
L'heure du thé [Tea time]
Artist/Maker and role
Kathleen O'CONNOR: artist
Date
c 1928
Medium
mixed media on cardboard
Measurements
78.5 x 98.0 cm (sight)
94.4 x 113.9 cm (framed)
94.4 x 113.9 cm (framed)
Credit line
Purchased 1949
© Kathleen O'Connor c1928
The State Art Collection, The Art Gallery of Western Australia
Accession number
1949/00P4