White Plant
Helen Torr
American, 1886–1967

Details
Title
White Plant
Artist/Maker
Helen Torr (American, 1886–1967)
Date
1930
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
20 x 8 inches
Credit
Purchase with funds from Alfred Austell Thornton in memory of Leila Austell Thornton and Albert Edward Thornton, Sr., and Sarah Miller Venable and William Hoyt Venable
Accession #
2012.49
An accomplished artist, Helen Torr had until recently been obscured by her more famous husband, the modernist painter Arthur Dove. Torr created small but bold works based primarily on floral and botanical themes. White Plant—a fine example of Torr’s interest in still life and her slightly jarring compositional arrangements—depicts a White Christmas caladium set against a navy-blue fabric background. The plant’s singular flat leaf, dramatized and deepened with flat, spotted green brushstrokes and pink veins, is reminiscent of a solid white heart.
Image Copyright
© Helen Torr