71. Kees Bruin (b. 1954)
Eve and Easter Lily
Oil on canvas
78 x 60 cm
Signed & dated 1995
est. $40,000 - 60,000
Fetched $30,000
Relative Size: Eve and Easter Lily
Relative size

Easter Lily and Eve presents a Lily in details that can almost be smelt and picked, along with a nude reminiscent of Venus in Botticelli's Birth of Venus and ancient Greek sculptures. This figure symbolises women universally, from Genesis to Picasso's daughter. This composition, with its strong chiaroscuro suggests both the creation of night and day, and the emerging tension between them. As with Colin McCahon's Takaka Night and Day, it references the garden of Eden in a contemporary context.

Kees Bruin synthesises traditional realism with contemporary and photo-realistic techniques which portray his views on the world and his reflections on life. Religious themes dominate his art as he draws on the rich iconography and spiritual heritage of Western philosophy to provide a fresh perspective on Christianity. His enduring, enigmatic works intrigue and tease with their tenuous play between the real and the symbolic - what seems to be and what is. Kees was an invited artist at the 1990 International Artist's Forum in Holland.

Text: notes affixed verso

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