7160

Philip Edward Haldin 1936

Half-length slightly to the right, head turned and looking to the viewer, wearing a dark green jacket, cream waistcoat with a red check, red tie and pale yellow shirt, holding a shotgun in both hands

Oil on canvas, 100.3 x 74.9 cm (39 ½ x 29 ½ in.)

Inscribed lower right: de László / v. 1936

Sitters’ Book II, f. 86: Philip E. Haldin / June 4th 1936

Private Collection

The artist recorded in his diary that his first preparatory drawings for this portrait were made in December 1935, but for reasons unknown the portrait was not begun until 20 May 1936.^[1] Further sittings followed daily 2-5 June, after which the artist noted that both he and the Haldins “much regret it – That The sittings are over – He has a good pic – liked to paint him.”^[2] This was to be the last portrait the artist made of a member of the Haldin family. He had previously painted the sitter’s wife in her wedding dress in 1917 [5556], his daughter Ann [5557] in 1931 and his son Hugh [7163] in 1935.

Philip Edward Haldin was born in London 1880, the son of Wolf Haldinstein (1848-1896) of Norwich, and his wife Ada Jonas (1861-1924). He was educated at Harrow. In 1917, he married Edna Caroline Cohen (1889-1976), daughter of D. Neville-Cohen of Sydney, New South Wales. There were two children of the marriage, a son, Hugh (born 1918) and a daughter, Ann (born 1922).

Haldin worked primarily in shipping and was Chairman of Haldin and Phillips in London and Chairman of Lamport & Holt Line. He was knighted in 1939. He was President of the Chamber of Shipping of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain (1940-41), ensuring the maintenance and continued operation of the merchant fleet. Haldin also served as a member of the Ministry of War Transport Shipping Advisory Council 1940-1945 and on the Advisory Committee for Merchant Shipbuilding. Towards the end of hostilities he served as a member of the Shipping Defence Advisory Committee of the Admiralty, and on the General Council of British Shipping.

Haldin enjoyed shooting and golf near the family home at Lympe Place in Kent and was highly regarded for his sense of humour and analytical mind. He died 7 November 1953 at the age of seventy-three.

PROVENANCE:

By descent in the family

LITERATURE:

•The Syren, 6 March 1940, ill.

•László, Philip de, 1935 diary, private collection, 26 April entry, p. 101

•László, Philip de, March-July 1936 diary, private collection, 20 May entry, pp. 90-91; 2 June entry, p. 103; 3 June entry, p. 103; 4 June entry, p. 104; 5 June entry, p. 105

KF 2017