Beautiful Minutiae
Australia’s Greatest Still Life Artist
Across a storied lifetime of art making, Margaret Olley’s (1923-2011) flower paintings – predominantly painted through the 1960s – remain some of her most beloved work. With a palette of greens and burnt oranges, Banksia (1970), exemplified her ability to capture a subject in a warm, painterly style without sacrificing detail.
In 1964, artist and critic James Gleeson described Olley as ‘a symphonist among flower painters; a painter who calls upon the full resources of the modern palette to express her joy in the beauty of living things.’ He was not alone in his praise.
In observing Olley’s body of work, it becomes clear she had a love for the minutiae of life, particularly her own home and studio. Without idealising or overly romanticising, her still life paintings invited viewers to share in the beauty of a single moment or object.
However, her success wasn’t only thanks to her immense artistic talent.
Friends and critics alike often described Olley as an unpretentious and generous person. After all, she was an artist whose process generally began with a preparatory sketch on a discarded cigarette packet, someone who spent most of her wealth on purchasing art from up-and-coming artists to then donate to galleries. This authenticity seemed to radiate from her paintings and captivate audiences – even people beyond the art world.
As such, Olley continues to be revered today and is often considered Australia’s greatest still life artist.
