Abstract Oil Painting by Phoebe Peto Willetts

Important Late-Period Abstract Oil Painting by Phoebe Peto Willetts (British, 1917–1978) – Dated 1977 • Artist: Phoebe Peto Willetts (later Willetts-Dickinson) • Title: Untitled Organic Abstract Study • Date: 1977 (Signed and dated by the artist) • Medium: Oil on Canvas • Dimensions: 32" x 27" (81.3 cm x 68.6 cm) – Including Frame • Provenance: Original gallery stock tag intact from the historic Reeve & Mackay Fine Art Dealers, Toronto (Stock No. 93902). Description & Composition Offered here is a rare, large-format mid-century abstract painting by noted British modernist and historic activist Phoebe Peto Willetts. Painted in 1977, this powerful work represents the artist’s ultimate evolution into deep spiritual abstraction. The composition is a moody, commanding study featuring layered, stone-like circular forms and spheres that dynamically cluster around a brilliant, centralized radiant burst of light. Executed with a sophisticated palette of deep earthy tones, muted grays, and striking white highlights, the piece possesses an immense visual presence. At 32" x 27", this substantial canvas serves as a magnificent standalone focal piece for any mid-century modern collection. The artwork is clearly hand-signed and dated "Willetts '77" in the lower-left corner. Impeccable Provenance & Gallery History The reverse of the canvas features its original, fully intact paper inventory label from Reeve & Mackay Fine Art Dealers & Framers (formerly located at 199 Queen Street East, Toronto) [Ju7HLm]. This pristine label details the artist's name, stock number (93902), and the 1977 date, securely anchoring the piece’s transatlantic exhibition and sales history to the late 1970s Canadian art market. About the Artist (Phoebe Peto Willetts, 1917–1978) Phoebe Peto Willetts was an accomplished British painter, lifelong social activist, and a pioneering figure in ecclesiastical history. She trained at the prestigious Birmingham School of Art and the Royal Academy Schools (1934–1940). Her art was deeply intertwined with her passionate beliefs in peace and social justice. A devout pacifist and early member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), she was famously imprisoned in Holloway Prison in 1960 for her anti-nuclear protests—an experience that heavily influenced her socio-political artwork. In 1966, she was ordained as a Deaconess in the Church of England, and in 1978 she made history by becoming the first woman to concelebrate communion in an English parish church. Because the artist passed away in 1978, this 1977 canvas represents one of her absolute final lifetime creations, making it a highly collectible, rare piece of both artistic and cultural history. Condition Report • Canvas/Paint Surface: Excellent vintage condition. The paint layer is stable with no signs of flaking, paint loss, or heavy craquelure. • Frame: Housed in its original 1970s gallery-selected gilt wood molding. Frame is structurally sound with minor, age-appropriate wear. • Verso: The canvas backing is clean, tight, and retains the original Reeve & Mackay gallery label Nearest intersection Younge Street and Stelees Avenue