Frankfurther’s composition is so carefully arranged that her two waitresses appear to mirror one another: from the crossover tops of their distinctive Lyons uniforms to their outstretched arms and tilted...
Frankfurther’s composition is so carefully arranged that her two waitresses appear to mirror one another: from the crossover tops of their distinctive Lyons uniforms to their outstretched arms and tilted heads with white peaked headdresses inclining toward one another, implying a close personal as well as professional relationship between them. The rose-coloured background is typical of the ‘feminine’ palette that indicates Frankfurther’s instinctive sympathy for women. The strong verticals of the women’s bodies and solid horizontals of their beam-like arms form a static framework counterbalanced by a series of strong diagonals. Their gestures are stilled, suggesting a rare quiet moment among the noisy, busy reality of restaurant life. Frankfurther lifts the scene from the frenzy of the everyday, suspending it for our contemplation.
presented by the artist’s sister, Beate Planskoy, 2015
Exhibitions
Unexpected: continuing narratives of identity and migration;Refugees: The Lives of Others - Selected Works by Eva Frankfurther (1930-1959)
Literature
Rachel Dickson and Sarah MacDougall, eds., 'Out of Chaos: Ben Uri; 100 Years in London' (London: Ben Uri Gallery, 2015) pp. 110-111.; Jutta Vinzent, 'The Other of the Other: Refugee Artists and Black Subjects', in eds., R. Dickson & S. MacDougall, 'Forced Journeys: Artists in Exile in Britain c. 1933-45' (London: Ben Uri Gallery, 2009) pp. 80-85.; Beate Planskoy, 'Eva Frankfurther 1930-59: Paintings, lithographs and drawings (London: Peter Halban, 2001) p. 24; Sarah MacDougall ed., 'Refiguring the 50s: Joan Eardley, Sheila Fell, Eva Frankfurther, Josef Herman, L S Lowry' (London: Ben Uri, 2014), p. 88; Rachel Dickson and Sarah MacDougall, eds., 'Out of Chaos: Ben Uri - 100 Years in London' (London: Ben Uri, 2015), p. 111