In 1938, the year Palms was painted, Joseph Stella traveled to Barbados for the first time with his wife, Mary. Mary was born on the island and, with her health declining, desired to return to her birthplace. Stella also welcomed the opportunity to escape the dreary climate of New York. Barbados proved to be a revitalizing destination for Stella, who expressed his sentiment in his writing, “The fresh, balmy air and the clarity of the dawn full of young joy, open up the portal of our soul, lighting it up within, chasing away the shadows thickened during the horrible time in ugly America. It comes as the Resurrection of all our Being. There resounds once more the song of Hope and Joy.” [1] Three years later, Stella wrote of Barbados, “For the daring, adventurous painter Barbados is a magic island.” [2]

The lush flora of the island deeply inspired Stella and directly informed the composition. Palms features a brilliant sky and sweeping monumental palms, evoking the Caribbean landscape. As Stella’s health began to decline in 1940, he shifted his focus to small-scale flower subjects, executed in his studio. Palms represents the last period during which Stella was creating works on such a large scale, making it a significant piece in his oeuvre.

[1] Joseph Stella, cited in Barbara Haskell, Joseph Stella, 1994, p. 175.

[2] Haskell, p. 210.