An enduring subject in art, flowers symbolize both beauty and transience—here frozen in eternal bloom. In Still Life (1961), Harley Cameron Griffiths elevates a simple bouquet into a meditation on memory and care, where each petal seems to whisper stories of celebration, condolence, and intimate exchange.

Griffiths was celebrated for his still-lifes, having trained under famed artist Archibald Colquhoun before forging his own path. His father, Harley Griffiths Senior, studied at Melbourne’s National Gallery School (1894–99) alongside Max Meldrum, and that legacy of technical rigour and tonal sensitivity courses through the younger Griffiths’s work. Appointed NGV’s painting conservator in 1956, Griffiths brought an unrivalled understanding of pigment and preservation to his canvases—qualities that resonate in the enduring vibrancy of ‘Still Life’.

Griffiths has been noted for his meticulous brushwork and orchestration of the subtle effects of light, qualities that align him with many mid-century Australian modernists who wrought emotion through form and hue.

This oil on canvas is typical of Griffiths’ work—included in numerous public collections . Elegant and evocative, Still Life is a prize for collectors of Australian modernism and floral still-life, perfect for those seeking a work that combines technical mastery with poetic resonance.

Harley Cameron GRIFFITHS (1908 - 1981)
'Still Life' 1961
oil on canvas
Image Size: 87 x 70 cm
Dimensions: 107 x 90 x 4 cm
Signed: Signed 'H. Griffiths 61' lower left.

 
Comes with Letter of Provenance

Condition: Very Good: Describes a work of art's image as Excellent, but may show some small signs of surrounding wear to paper or frame. There are no tears to paper margin or disruption to the paint surface.

(c) The Artist or Assignee