Michael Argov, Flower Bouquet, Oil Painting On Board, 1956

A 1956 oil painting on board by Michael Argov (1920, Vienna – 1982, Tel Aviv), depicting a bouquet of polychrome flowers, possibly narcissi, arranged in a modest white ceramic jug, set against an abstract background of earthy tones. Thick and textured impasto brushwork adds physicality to the painting: the background, arranged in geometric strokes conveys a structural, almost architectural quality, quietly contrasting with the free exuberance of the flowers and foliage. Similarly, the vibrancy of the red, yellow, blue and green of the bouquet are set against the warm, subdued ochres and browns of the background. The composition bursts with energy, with the flowers extending to the borders of the frame, almost escaping the jug, giving this work a vitality that goes beyond a conventional flower piece.

This compelling work is characteristic of Argov’s 1950s paintings, when the artist lived in Paris and was influenced by the decorative style of Matisse and the School of Paris. Signed and dated 1956 lower left, and presented in a 1950s Montparnasse frame.

Michael Argov was born in 1920 in Vienna, although his family emigrated to Palestine in 1933. He studied at the Avni Institute with Yehezkel Streichman in 1942, receiving a first solo exhibition in 1947, from which the Tel-Aviv Museum acquired one work. In the same year, he moved to Paris and studied at the École des Beaux-Arts, specialising in fresco painting. Staying in Paris in the 1950s, his work drew attention and he received a first painting prize in Deauville in 1952 and the Othon Friesz Prize in 1955. From then onwards, his work was shown in many group and solo exhibitions, dividing his time between Paris and Israel. His early work includes figurative landscapes, portraits and still lifes, while taking a radical turn to geometric abstraction and fields of colour in the 1960s.

• Framed dimensions: 58 x 50 cm
• Picture dimensions: 46 x 38 cm
• Signed 'Argov' and dated 1956 lower left.
• The painting is in excellent condition.
• Presented in a period Montparnasse frame, in excellent condition.

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