Portrait of O’Donnell Moffett 1939

Rita Angus made this portrait of O’Donnell Moffett with oil on canvas, using a smooth, controlled application of paint. Look closely, and you can see how Angus built up the composition with distinct, flat planes of color. This direct, economical approach has parallels in commercial art, particularly graphic design and illustration. The subject’s hair, for example, is rendered as a series of carefully shaped volumes, almost like a modernist sculpture. His school uniform is depicted with careful attention, the grey jersey rendered as a simple, solid block of color. Angus wasn’t just interested in appearances; she used the medium of paint to create a sense of clarity, reflecting a modern sensibility that valued functionalism and truth to materials. We can appreciate her work not just as a representation, but as a crafted object with its own distinct material presence, sitting at an intersection of fine art and design.