Hanging Gardens of Hammersmith No. 2 - Victor Pasmore

A seminal work by Victor Pasmore, this 1947 painting captures the essence of the Thames-side environment through delicate, abstract marks and a light-filled composition.

Hanging Gardens of Hammersmith No. 2, painted in 1947, marks a significant shift in the career of Victor Pasmore. During this period, the artist moved away from the figurative style associated with the Euston Road School towards a more abstract interpretation of form and space. This work captures the atmosphere of the Thames-side environment in London, yet it does so through a delicate, almost ethereal arrangement of marks rather than literal representation.

The composition relies on a sparse, light-filled background that suggests the expansive quality of the river air. Against this pale ground, Pasmore places clusters of small, stippled dots and thin, sweeping lines. These elements evoke the organic growth of foliage and the skeletal structure of trees, yet they remain detached from traditional botanical illustration. The application of paint is precise, creating a sense of rhythm that guides the eye across the surface of the canvas.

Pasmore was deeply interested in the relationship between nature and geometry. In this piece, the organic shapes are balanced by a subtle, underlying structural order. The colour palette is restrained, focusing on earthy tones of ochre, soft brown, and muted green, which contrast with the cool, bright white of the negative space. This work reflects the artist's interest in the visual language of modernism, where the focus shifts from the subject matter itself to the arrangement of colour, line, and texture. It is a quiet, contemplative piece that demonstrates the transition of British art in the post-war era, moving towards a synthesis of observation and pure abstraction.