Still Life with Check Table Cloth 1960

John Bratby created "Still Life with Check Table Cloth" using oil paint. Bratby emerged as an artist in post-war Britain. The still life, as a genre, historically reflected domestic comfort and prosperity. Bratby, however, disrupted this tradition by using raw brushstrokes and a high-key palette. Bratby's still lifes invite us to consider the cultural and societal shifts that took place in mid-20th century Britain. Bratby painted everyday objects with an unflinching eye. His work challenged idealized representations of domestic life, portraying a more honest depiction of the world around him. There is an emotional intensity to the painting, a kind of existential pressure. Bratby said he sought to capture "the poetry of ordinary things." This painting invites you to consider how the artist used the genre of still life to reflect the societal issues and emotional landscape of his time.