Duncan Grant Portrait of Vanessa Bell in Fancy Dress
Duncan Grant
1885 - 1978
Portrait of Vanessa Bell in Fancy Dress
signed D. Grant. and dated /30 (lower right)
oil on board
unframed: 116.5 by 61cm.; 46 by 24in.
framed: 126 by 70cm.; 49½ by 27½in.
Executed in 1930.
We are grateful to Richard Shone for his kind assistance with the cataloguing for the present work.
Condition Report:
The board bows. Overall the work is in very good condition.
There is a hairline surface crack to the board in the upper right hand corner as well as another hairline surface crack in the lower third, and further in the upper right hand corner. These appear at least in part to be integral to the board and do not appear to be worsening but there are a few old flecks of loss. There are framing abrasions and rubbing to the edges and corners of the board. Out of the frame there is some contrast in the colouration of the paint in the extreme edges suggesting the overall paint surface is dirty and would benefit from a clean. There are nicks and scuffs to the outer edge of the board with some minor losses to the paint. There are some light scuffs and spots of staining in places to the work. There is some flattening to impasto tips. There is light surface dirt.
Inspection under Ultraviolet light reveals some florescent pigments but no obvious signs of retouching.
The work is presented in a wooden frame.
For any further information regarding the present lot please contact tamsin.goldingyee@sothebys.com.
Catalogue Note:
Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant were two of the most important figures within the Bloomsbury group, the bohemian intellectual cluster of creatives characters who made an indelible mark on the trajectory of the arts in Britain through the twentieth century. The relationship, both personal and creatively, between these two in particular is one of the most significant in Modern British art history. They first met in 1905 and over the next fifty years formed a remarkable artistic partnership, running the Omega Workshops and forming the hub around which many of the early twentieth century’s greatest minds gravitated.
The present work was painted in 1930 and forms one of the countless images Grant produced of Bell between 1911 and 1961. Here, the informality and theatre of the image provides a charming insight in to their deep intimacy. As these pictures of Bell are so numerous it is important to remember that these stylised images were always of her modelling for him, and not having her portrait painted. Although the manner in which the work is painted is strikingly modern the curious inclusion of more traditional dress is a fascinating juxtaposition. The mountains in the background appear to be those of the Alpes Maritimes near Cassis and it is therefore probable that Bell was dressing up in local traditional dress. The groups fascination with pattern and material making this all the more plausible. The influence which the seminal 1910 Post-Impressionist show at the Grafton Galleries, organised by their close friend Roger Fry, left a lasting influence, the evidence of which is made clear here. This highly ornamented depiction being a striking example of this synthesis of these inspirations.
The personal nature of the relationship between the two was unusual even by the open minded and progressive standards of the group. Grant’s early intimate relationships were with men, and he was embroiled in entanglements with Lytton Strachey (his cousin), John Maynard Keynes and David Garnett. However by 1916 Grant and Bell had formed a relationship and by 1918 Bell has fallen pregnant with his child, Angelica Bell, who was born in Christmas of that year. Angelica ultimately went on to marry David Garnett and have four children with him. Although the intimate nature of Grant and Bell’s relationship seems to have abated at around this time, they went on to live together at Charleston for the next forty years, sustaining a hugely successful artistic output.
The cultural significance of the group to this day cannot be overstated, with Dior, Fendi and Burberry all recently incorporating typically Bloomsbury patterns and designs. Charleston House in Sussex celebrates its 50th anniversary as a museum this year, and in 2023 a replica formed the backdrop to the Dior Men’s Summer fashion promotion.
Provenance:
London Artist's Association, London, where acquired by Sir Hugh Walpole
Sale, Christie's London, 21 May 1954, lot 33, where acquired by the previous owner
Their sale, Christie's London, 12 November 2009, lot 26, where acquired by the present owner
Bid on this lot
Duncan Grant
1885 - 1978
Portrait of Vanessa Bell in Fancy Dress
signed D. Grant. and dated /30 (lower right)
oil on board
unframed: 116.5 by 61cm.; 46 by 24in.
framed: 126 by 70cm.; 49½ by 27½in.
Executed in 1930.
We are grateful to Richard Shone for his kind assistance with the cataloguing for the present work.
Condition Report:
The board bows. Overall the work is in very good condition.
There is a hairline surface crack to the board in the upper right hand corner as well as another hairline surface crack in the lower third, and further in the upper right hand corner. These appear at least in part to be integral to the board and do not appear to be worsening but there are a few old flecks of loss. There are framing abrasions and rubbing to the edges and corners of the board. Out of the frame there is some contrast in the colouration of the paint in the extreme edges suggesting the overall paint surface is dirty and would benefit from a clean. There are nicks and scuffs to the outer edge of the board with some minor losses to the paint. There are some light scuffs and spots of staining in places to the work. There is some flattening to impasto tips. There is light surface dirt.
Inspection under Ultraviolet light reveals some florescent pigments but no obvious signs of retouching.
The work is presented in a wooden frame.
For any further information regarding the present lot please contact tamsin.goldingyee@sothebys.com.
Catalogue Note:
Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant were two of the most important figures within the Bloomsbury group, the bohemian intellectual cluster of creatives characters who made an indelible mark on the trajectory of the arts in Britain through the twentieth century. The relationship, both personal and creatively, between these two in particular is one of the most significant in Modern British art history. They first met in 1905 and over the next fifty years formed a remarkable artistic partnership, running the Omega Workshops and forming the hub around which many of the early twentieth century’s greatest minds gravitated.
The present work was painted in 1930 and forms one of the countless images Grant produced of Bell between 1911 and 1961. Here, the informality and theatre of the image provides a charming insight in to their deep intimacy. As these pictures of Bell are so numerous it is important to remember that these stylised images were always of her modelling for him, and not having her portrait painted. Although the manner in which the work is painted is strikingly modern the curious inclusion of more traditional dress is a fascinating juxtaposition. The mountains in the background appear to be those of the Alpes Maritimes near Cassis and it is therefore probable that Bell was dressing up in local traditional dress. The groups fascination with pattern and material making this all the more plausible. The influence which the seminal 1910 Post-Impressionist show at the Grafton Galleries, organised by their close friend Roger Fry, left a lasting influence, the evidence of which is made clear here. This highly ornamented depiction being a striking example of this synthesis of these inspirations.
The personal nature of the relationship between the two was unusual even by the open minded and progressive standards of the group. Grant’s early intimate relationships were with men, and he was embroiled in entanglements with Lytton Strachey (his cousin), John Maynard Keynes and David Garnett. However by 1916 Grant and Bell had formed a relationship and by 1918 Bell has fallen pregnant with his child, Angelica Bell, who was born in Christmas of that year. Angelica ultimately went on to marry David Garnett and have four children with him. Although the intimate nature of Grant and Bell’s relationship seems to have abated at around this time, they went on to live together at Charleston for the next forty years, sustaining a hugely successful artistic output.
The cultural significance of the group to this day cannot be overstated, with Dior, Fendi and Burberry all recently incorporating typically Bloomsbury patterns and designs. Charleston House in Sussex celebrates its 50th anniversary as a museum this year, and in 2023 a replica formed the backdrop to the Dior Men’s Summer fashion promotion.
Provenance:
London Artist's Association, London, where acquired by Sir Hugh Walpole
Sale, Christie's London, 21 May 1954, lot 33, where acquired by the previous owner
Their sale, Christie's London, 12 November 2009, lot 26, where acquired by the present owner
