Washer Woman (original sold)
A traditional piece dating back to 1961 taken from an original photo captured in South Wales by photographer Michael Gray.
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A raw picture capturing the gritty reality of past times.
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The mismatched wooden furniture, the cold steel bucket, the traditional table cloth all symbolic of the 1960's.
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The woman's physique is strong. Combined with her rugged appearance it would suggest she is a hard working individual in hard times.
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A bold classical picture.
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Karl Simpson
I collect old photography books and found the photo reference for this in a 1961 book. The photographer is Michael Gray
I have emailed him to request permission to use the photo. The accompanying note to the photo say that as he walked passed a cottage in South Wales he saw this lady washing her feet in the kitchen and took her photo.
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I loved it when I first saw the photo and waited about 4 years before painting it. Technically I feel its one of my best paintings in respect of realism. I changed nothing from the photo. Again its one of those paintings that garnered missed reactions. Some felt it too gritty a subject but I love the brutal reality of it.
She could be a prize boxer preparing for a fight but in reality she has probably just finished a hard days work. Her hands show a life lived with their rugged appearance, but she has this delicate undergarment that is no doubt rarely on show.
I was intrigued that her ring is on her middle finger and the table is set for one.