A Quiet Street Corner
Description
watercolour on paper
51 x 72 cm
This detailed rendering of a Peranakan shophouse articulates every element of ornamentation on the building through a masterful use of contrast– the pseudo-Corinthian pillars on the second floor are especially worth paying attention to. Chew’s use of diffused blue and green hued washes on the verge of abstraction in the background produces a dreamy atmosphere, while the warm white of the architecture sparkling in the morning sun creates an inviting, calming scene.
The composition has an almost candid quality and reflects an authentic encounter with the inhabitants of this setting, whose expressive poses suggest at rich inner lives– two women on the sidewalk are huddled together in animated conversation, a woman clad in orange expectantly awaiting someone or something, and a passing trishaw rider, perhaps hoping to pick up a client.
Provenance
Gift from a corporate collection to Singapore Philatelic Museum
To be sold to support Children’s Museum Singapore *
* Singapore Philatelic Museum became a dedicated children’s museum in December 2022.
Echoes of the Past / Lot #4
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