A holiday at The Jamaica Inn prompts thoughts about which artists have painted  on the island. The 20th century British artist most closely associated with Jamaica in my mind is John Minton. He first came by boat to Kingston with his then boyfriend, Ricky Stride, in 1950. They apparently met on the boat two British Jamaican residents, Peter and Alice Blagrove, [Read More…]
Results for search of category: Lucian Freud
Lucian Freud and John Craxton’s drawings of Peter Watson at Christie’s
On 25th June,2014, Christie’s is holding an evening sale of Modern British and Irish Art at King Street. I have contributed a total of approximately 1,000 words to two catalogue entries, on the subject of Peter Watson. Lot 2 is a portrait drawing of Watson by Freud and lot 6 is a drawing of Watson by Craxton. The works are [Read More…]
Freud’s drawing of Peter Watson
In the V and A bookshop the other day, I saw a familiar face.There is a new book out by Susan Owens called “The Art of Drawing:British Masters and Methods since 1600″. On the cover of this largescale hardback is Freud’s drawing of Peter Watson from 1945,which lives in the V and A collection.
Peter Watson and Francis Bacon
As work on Watson’s biography continues, one thing which is becoming apparent is the importance to Bacon at certain points in the development of his reputation of his link with Peter Watson. It is unknown when they actually met. They moved in the same part of the London art world and may well have met during or shortly after the [Read More…]
Freud Portraits
At last managed to see the terribly crowded show at the NPG. The rooms cannot bear the numbers of people, who when I was there were concentrated in the rooms showing the earlier more interesting pictures. There was basically no-one lingering in a room showing the Benefits Supervisor lady and the large male nude, whereas it was impossible to move amongst the [Read More…]
Exhibitions in 2012
Diary starting to fill with next year’s stuff.  John Piper will be having more publicity. “John Piper and the Church” is going to be at Dorchester Abbey from 21st April to 10th June. “John Piper:the Gyselynck Collection” will be at the River and Rowing Museum, Henley from 3rd March to 8th October and “John Piper: The Mountains of Wales” will be [Read More…]
Sigmund Freud Museum
Visited this in Maresfield Gardens in Swiss Cottage.  There are two art things of interest. Firstly,  a sketch of Freud done surreptitiously by Salvador Dali, who managed to visit him during the brief period he lived here in 1938/9. Secondly, a watercolour of a plant given by Lucian to Anna Freud, Sigmund’s daughter, who lived on in the house for many years [Read More…]