Mymosa
1924
27.5 x 21 cm
The Hunterian, University of Glasgow
According to Professor Pamela Robertson, a specialist in Charles Rennie Mackintosh at the University of Glasgow, this watercolour “is undoubtedly one of the first painted in France”.
Indeed, there is no doubt that, at the beginning of 1924, when he had just arrived from Great Britain, C. R. Macintosh was seduced by the flowers of this tree, which is common around the Mediterranean. It announces spring from the beginning of January with its clusters of small yellow balls and its delicate perfume.
Pictorial analysis
Mackintosh has been drawing flowers from a young age with exceptional attention to detail.
The background remains neutral and Mackintosh takes care of the layout, giving as much importance to the voids as to the solids.
This way of depicting flowers is typical of the Art Nouveau movement that developed throughout Europe at the end of the 19th century.