All the Colours of the Rainbow, 1942
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All the Colours of the Rainbow, 1942
Commissioned by the Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), All The Colours of the Rainbow underscores Anna Zinkeisen’s exceptional skill as a commercial artist. While she was widely recognized for her portraiture and mural work, Zinkeisen adeptly bridged the divide between fine art and commercial commissions—an intersection that became notably more fluid during the Second World War, as “commercial art” increasingly mirrored the standards of traditional fine art.
Although the painting was initially created to promote the production of chemical dyes, it resonates with much deeper significance. The central figure, a young woman dressed simply in a dress and headscarf, takes a quiet moment to stitch her patchwork. The viewer is invited to imagine the myriad colours of the fabric fragments, as well as the subtle, fleeting memories reflected in her contemplative expression. Her serene pose evokes the image of a Tuscan Quattrocento Madonna—imbued with deep spirituality and humility. The expansive view of rolling hills in the background suggests an underlying theme of hope for a brighter future. This sense of optimism stands in stark contrast to the emotional and physical turmoil Zinkeisen experienced during WWII, when she served as a Medical Artist and nursing auxiliary in the Order of St. John at St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington. The suffering and loss she witnessed during this time likely contributed to the profound spiritual and emotional depth present in the painting.
The use of colour in All Colours of the Rainbow is as striking as the extensive range of hues provided by ICI, extending well beyond the conventional spectrum of the rainbow—violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. Zinkeisen’s arrangement of these colours creates an abstract, surreal flowing pattern that feels both organic and alive. The colours seem to dance across the canvas, liberated from the confines of nature and rendered with an almost otherworldly vibrancy. At the centre of the composition, a subtle burst of light draws the viewer’s eye, suggesting the origin of colour itself—light—as a unifying force that transcends the material and reaches into the spiritual. This is a theme that echoes Zinkeisen’s own words: “Art is a language that speaks to the soul.”
In the same year, Zinkeisen also created a black-and-white version of All The Colours of the Rainbow, titled From the Studio, offering an alternate, more subdued exploration of the same thematic elements.
‘All Colors of the Rainbow’ was featured in the ‘Studio Magazine’, in the article “The Advertiser as Art Patron, Imperial Chemical Industries LTD ” by Joyce Watkins (1942)
(From contributions by Virginia Hill)
Anna Zinkeisen studied drawing and anatomy before winning a scholarship to the Royal Academy Schools in 1916 to study sculpture – exhibiting at the RA in 1919 and winning the Landseer Award in 1920 and 1921. On leaving the RA, she worked with her sister Doris on murals for the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth liners and produced notable portraits. She also provided illustrations for several books, including Sophy Cassmajor by Margery Sharp, published in 1934. While volunteering as a nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital during the Second World War, Zinkeisen made pathological drawings of war injuries for the Royal College of Surgeons. She was awarded RDI in 1940. In her self-portrait of 1944 (held in the NPG), clutching a bundle of paint brushes and wearing the bracelet of the St John’s Ambulance Brigade, for which she was volunteering, her gaze leaves the viewer in no doubt as to her professional status.