Centre of a city 1925

Grace Cossington Smith captured an urban scene with oil on cardboard in "Centre of a City." This Australian modernist, working in the early 20th century, found inspiration in everyday life, often depicting domestic interiors or, as here, the bustling city around her. Painted with visible brushstrokes and a high-keyed palette, the painting vibrates with the energy of urban life. The buildings loom, monumental and imposing, yet the street-level view humanizes the scene. Figures hurry along the sidewalks, anonymous and yet integral to the pulse of the city. The male figures, dressed in dark suits, seem to dominate the space, reflecting the gendered dynamics of the public sphere at the time. Smith subverts the conventional narrative by positioning herself, a woman, as the observer and interpreter of this masculine world. "I see colour everywhere," she once said, and indeed, her vibrant application of paint transforms the mundane into a celebration of light and life. The painting offers a glimpse into the artist's personal experience of navigating and finding beauty in the urban landscape.