Untitled (Cala lillies on a dark background)

This watercolour composition presents a cluster of calla lilies pressed close to the picture plane, the flowers unfurling in pale, luminous whites that seem to glow against a brooding ground of slate, charcoal and deep teal. The white has a striking effect, while delicate washes of aqua and celadon pool at the throats and edges of each bloom suggest volume and the play of cool light. Broad, flat ribbons of blue-green stem sweep diagonally and intersect across the work, and fine, deliberate contour lines, are quietly reminiscent of stained glass or Art Deco design. The tension between the soft, graduated washes of the flowers and the darker, more mottled passages of the background creates a dramatic, nocturnal atmosphere, so that the lilies appear to emerge from shadow.