English Primroses

Laura Coombs Hills

1947 · pastel on paperboard · The American Wing

A native of Newburyport, Massachusetts, Laura Coombs Hills began her career as an acclaimed painter of miniature portraits. After 1920, and likely due to failing eyesight, Hills shifted to floral still lifes, primarily produced with handmade pastel sticks she purchased in France. In her lifetime, Hills was celebrated for the fresh, modernist aesthetic she brought to a traditional subject, one especially associated with women artists. She is best known today for her pastels of flowers. This vibrant pastel epitomizes her indoor tabletop compositions. Hills achieves a sophisticated design by contrasting the vivid palette of bright yellow, blue, and green for the flowers and pot with the more subdued tones of the decorative-patterned drapery in the background.

Artist

Laura Coombs Hills

Date

1947

Medium

pastel on paperboard

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

The Morse Family Foundation Fund, 2017