Del Kathryn Barton is one of Australia’s most celebrated contemporary
artists, famous for her figurative paintings that embed fantastical
characters within ornate surroundings. Many of Barton’s intricate works
feature women, often accompanied by an abundance of flowers, fruit and
other symbols of femininity. In Maggie, Barton combines a
statuesque likeness of cook, restauranteur, businesswoman and media
personality Maggie Beer AO (b. 1945) with a spellbinding and dream-like
collection of symbols that personally resonated with the sitter. When
making the work, Barton asked Beer to provide a list of her favourite
fruits and vegetables from each season. The chosen ingredients,
including peas, asparagus, peaches, quince, pomegranate and tomatoes,
become pictorial elements woven around the central figure. They signify
Beer’s passions and personality in a manner akin to the objects used to
identify saints in historical paintings.
Commissioned with funds provided by Hayley Baillie and James Baillie 2023
© Del Kathryn Barton
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