3567

Alfred Lys Baldry 1919

Head-and-shoulders in profile to the left, wearing a red embroidered cape with a wide satin collar

Oil on canvasboard, 48.9 x 38.1 cm (19 ¼ x 15 in.)

Indistinctly inscribed lower left:  One sitting inspiration / 1919 May de László [incised into paint in pencil]

Inscribed verso by the sitter: My portrait done by de Laszlo / in one sitting May 19th 1919 / A.L. Baldry

Private Collection

De László painted and drew Alfred Lys Baldry, who was a close colleague and family friend, a number of times, almost invariably in profile to the left. In this respect the present portrait is particularly reminiscent of a half-length painting from the previous year [3562], which also represents Baldry wearing a Renaissance cloak: not Italian, as in the present work, but Spanish.  

There also exists a portrait drawing of the sitter [111068] which bears strong similarities to the present painting, which might seem to be a preparatory work for it. However, as there was only one brief sitting for this portrait, and in view of de László’s speed with his brush, it is very unlikely that the artist would have made a drawing with such finish in mere preparation. It could be that de László, on the spur of the moment, started to draw his friend, but then turned to oil to depict him.

For biographical notes on the sitter, see [3562].

PROVENANCE:  

In the possession of the artist on his death

EXHIBITED:          

•The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, Paintings by Philip A. de László, February-March 1921, no. 32

•Ferens Art Gallery, Kingston-Upon-Hull, Autumn Exhibition of Modern Art, 15 September-29 December 1928, no. 7

•Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery, Doncaster, Eighteenth Summer Exhibition of Modern Art, 1931

CC 2008