George Mortram Moorhouse Love-in-a-Mist' Flowers Still Life

An original early 20th-century oil painting, George Mortram Moorhouse, 'Love-in-a-Mist' Flowers Still Life.

A lovely early 20th-century still-life oil painting by watercolourist, pastellist and engraver George Mortram Moorhouse (1882–1960). The flowers in the still life are blue and pink 'love-in-a-mist' flowers, or Nigella damascena, a charming old-fashioned wildflower that blooms in spring and early summer, often associated with cottage gardens, fields and roadsides. Its finely divided leaves form a lacy 'mist' surrounding the jewel-like flowers.

Mortram Moorhouse often painted in an ethereal style, choosing naturalistic subjects but rendering them in a softly blended technique that evoked a sense of atmosphere and spontaneity. In this still life he beautifully captures the short lived vitality of cut wildflowers.

George Mortram Moorhouse (1882–1960) studied at Lancaster School of Art and privately under illustrious teachers including Sir William Orpen, Frank Brangwyn and Augustus John. He was married to the artist Blanche Moorhouse. Both George and Blanche were long-standing members of the Lake Artists' Society, which was founded in 1904 to promote and exhibit works connected with Cumbria and the Lake District. George served as the Society's president from 1946 to 1949. At the time of painting, Moorhouse's address is given as Low House, Helsington, which is in the South Lakeland district of Cumbria.

Moorhouse's works have sold at Christie's, Sotheby's and Bonhams on a number of occasions.

On canvas on stretchers.