Painting in luminous white and gold against a deep black ground, Drew-Bear captures the thrill and magic of fireworks illuminating Venice's night sky. A spectacular burst explodes at the upper right of the canvas, its radiating tendrils cascading downward in graceful arcs. The falling sparks accumulate at the bottom of the composition, creating what appears to be a glittering pile of stars.
Drew-Bear was fifty-nine years old when she received a paint set from her daughter on Christmas in 1938, beginning a remarkable career as a largely self-taught artist. Born in England, she came to Philadelphia in 1905 and opened the London Flower Shop at 18th and Chestnut Streets, which she owned and operated for more than forty years. Known for sophisticated, high-end arrangements for gala events, she often painted in a second-floor studio above her shop. Drew-Bear briefly studied with Arthur B. Carles and spent a month in French artist Fernand Léger's atelier in 1949. She traveled extensively throughout Europe, Central America, and South America. In her seventies, she learned to scuba dive to paint marine life. Her work was acquired by prestigious collectors Sidney Janis and Albert Duveen.
