Still Life, Artist's Studio

This painting is titled Still Life Artist Studio and it has been previously attributed to the British painter Gerald Norden (1912–2000). Gerald Norden ( sometimes his name was spelled Nordon in some auction catalogues) was a prominent British artist known for his precise, clean, and highly composed trompe l'oeil style still life paintings. Norden lived and worked extensively on the south coast of England, spending a significant portion of his life residing and painting around Kent and Sussex, where I may add this painting was discovered. The wooden maquette (lay figure), stone textures, and paper sketches are classic motifs of the "studio still life" genre. This setup pays homage to the creative space of both painters and sculptors alike. Norden heavily favored the trompe l’oeil style (tricking the eye into seeing three-dimensional depth inside a shallow box frame), this painting is not signed but on close inspection the initials "R.L." are visible in the upper right hand side of the canvas, this could indicate an inscription or monogram added by a previous collector, a gallery registry note, or a dedication. I have included an alternative biography for your interest. David Buckman writes of Norden , he was a painter, writer and teacher, he was born in London, and he studied at the Royal College of Art and gained his diploma in 1937, under the artist Gilbert Spencer. He went onto teach at the Sidney Cooper School of Art Canterbury 1942-1947, he was also acting principal of Maidestone School of Art 1947/8 , then he became principal of Dover and Folkestone School of Art 1948 - 1971. As well as his articles in Art magazines he wrote ' A practical Guide to Perspective '. Norden was a regular R.A. exhibitor and had a series of one - man shows at Trafford Gallery, King Street, Newburgh Street and Catto Galleries. He was well known for his still lifes in oil , usually small and painted with great precision. He lived in Folkestone Kent. This picture we believe was painted in the 1950's the precise date is unknown but it has been left in it's first state of original condition, which has been left for the continuity of the originality of the artwork. The catalogue description could have been described to a number of prominent South of England painters during the 1950's, but the general opinion was to opt for Norden. This painting is an abstraction with hidden imagery bordering on the surrealist abstract paintings of De Chirico, Richard Lin's early works and others, I hope the new owner investigates the painting further for a definite attribution.