La Grand Rue, Normande 

Dorrit Black created this oil painting of a street in Normandy, France. Black's adoption of cubist techniques, such as geometric forms and fractured perspectives, speaks to the progressive artistic circles she moved in. Made at a time of rapid social and artistic change, 'La Grand Rue, Normande' shows us how Australian artists engaged with European modernism, adapting it to their own experiences and perspectives. We might ask, how did art institutions and education shape Black's artistic development? What role did travel play in exposing artists to new ideas and movements? Further research into Black's life, her artistic training, and the cultural context of the interwar period could reveal even more about the social and intellectual forces that shaped this painting.