The Woman, is a profound piece from Hanly’s Massacre of the Innocents series. Painted in 1961 when the artist received a three-month grant from the Dutch Government to work in Amsterdam, the artist has stated that these works were about ‘the inevitability of death and destruction wrought on man by his own follies and the ghastly waster of people and property by war.’ Massacre of the Innocents Series - The Woman, can be seen as a visual outcry against violence and the brutalities of war, this specific work capturing the essence of grief and vulnerability. The abstract nature of the painting allows for multiple interpretations, compelling viewers to confront their own perceptions of pain, loss, and hope. Hanly employs a rich colour palette dominated by deep greens and stark whites, creating a powerful contrast and drawing the viewer’s eye to the central figure. The abstract form suggests a figure in despair, bent over in sorrow or anguish. The use of light and shadow in the upper part of the canvas alludes to a looming presence or a distant glimmer of hope, suggestive of a spiritual or metaphysical dimension present within the depicted suffering.

Hanly’s ability to marry abstract techniques with deeply humanist themes helped cement his legacy as one of New Zealand’s foremost painters. His work remains a poignant reminder of the role of art in addressing the anxieties and ambitions of humanity.

References:
Hanly (Auckland: Ron Sang Publications, 2012), ed. Gregory O’Brien, photo ed. Gil Hanly, p.29