Description
Fijian Figures with Hut – Ray Crooke
The monochrome use of a Phthalo green background gives the Fijian figures in the foreground a quiet stillness. This scene’s richness portrays Ray Crookes’s subtle but confident brushstrokes, which are evident in this painting late in his career.
Ray Crooke’s landscapes depict island life in the tropical north and neighbouring Melanesian and Fijian Islands. These timeless and beautiful artworks capture the tropics’ idyllic stillness and languid lifestyle.
Crooke was principally known for his landscapes. He was also a skilled portrait painter and won the Archibald Prize in 1969 with a portrait of George Johnson.
In 1951, he married June Bethel, and the couple settled in Cairns before moving back to Thursday Island. Experience of life in the tropics became an essential element of Crooke’s work. In 1959, he held a successful solo exhibition at Australian Galleries Melbourne. Now highly sought after by major galleries, Cooke chose picturesque Yorkey’s Knob and Cairns as his base.
Ray Crooke’s work is in the Cairns Gallery, the National Gallery of Australia, and many other state and regional galleries.
The artwork is located in Cairns FNQ, Australia. Delivery is not included but will be arranged.