DLA017-0003  Transcription

47, VICTORIA STREET,

S.W.1.

3 Dec.’ 1930

My dear President,

You have, on several occasions, been so kind as to suggest coming to see me, and it occurs to me that I may have appeared a little ungracious in the matter.

Believe me that such an intention was very far from my thoughts.

You have been so very nice and thoughtful to me about everything, that I feel I should take you into my confidence and explain myself, knowing full well I can rely on you to respect my confidence.

To put it briefly, I hesitate to ask anyone to call on me. I live in a small flat, having now had to abandon my studio owing to the present condition of things, and I have practically no work to show there tho’ I do what painting I can there.

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You see, my dear President, I have met with considerable reverses of fortune. The War lost me what private income I had, and at the present time I am fighting hard to save a company in which I am concerned from collapse. In short, with several people depending on me, I have to exercise the greatest economy and live in a very quiet way. For example, no member of the R.B.A. has ever entered my door, except Roberts,^[1] (an old friend) and Jamieson.^[2] No one there knows anything of me. I came to the conclusion years ago, even when there was no question of “Position”, that I saw quite enough of my fellow artists at the various clubs and Galleries, and that there was no need to introduce them into my private life. But you, my

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dear Laszlo are entirely different and quite on another footing. You would understand where others would not.

It may be pride, perhaps stupid pride on my part, but there it is!

My career is not devoid of interest even if wanting in success and if we meet [opportunely?], you might like to hear some of it.

I write this now in the hope it may explain in measure certain things that may have struck you. I am most anxious to tender to you all the help I can in your policy for the good or our society, and most earnestly to co-operate with you.

I am | yrs most cordially

Alex Maclean

Editorial Notes:

Alexander Maclean (1867-1940), British artist.

Maclean, who in March 1930 had been Vice President of the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA), unsuccessfully contested the presidency at the same time as de László. De László was elected by some 21 votes (see DLA123-0435, letter from Lucy de László to Paul Leonardo de Laszlo, 20 March 1930; and DLA018-0029, letter from Alfred Lys Baldry to de László, 26 February 1930). In a letter of the following month, Baldry, who wrote of the discord at the RBA, described Maclean as,“quite a nice chap but has not much backbone” (DLA018-0028, letter from Alfred Lys Baldry to de László, 1 March 1930).

In de László’s diary entry for 2 January 1931, he noted: “Maclean – Roberts and Hely Smith came … we discussed the new by laws for the R.B.A. The medal – The keeper – etc – it was very harmonious & sympathetic –” (DLA125-0001, Philip de László, 1931 diary, private collection, 2 January 1931 entry, p. 5). Despite this apparent accord, de László decided to retire from the position in the summer of 1931, “it is a thankless job – & [I] do not wish to be associated longer with the spirit & work – of the pushing moderns”, he wrote in his diary (DLA125-0001, op. cit., 26 March entry, p. 89). In June of that year, Maclean asked whether de László would reconsider his resignation, to which de László replied, “under no condition” (DLA125-0001, op. cit, 13 June entry, p. 168).

SMDL

07/01/2018