7163

Hugh Neville Haldin 1935

Standing, half-length, full face to the viewer, wearing riding dress and holding a hunting whip in his right hand, his left hand raised to his lapel 

Oil on canvas, 88.9 x 63.5 cm (35 x 25 in.)

Inscribed lower right: de László / 1935 

Laib L19477 (606) / C11 (25)

NPG Album 1935, p. 14

Sitters’ Book II, f. 81: Hugh Haldin April 24th 1935

Private Collection

This portrait was painted over three days beginning on 24 April and a full day’s sitting the day after: “at 10.30 – began the portrait of Mrs Haldin’s 15 year-old nice boy – in riding habit – Mrs Baldin’s [sic] portrait I painted in 1916 [5556] – as a bride – it was the canvas which I gave to the Red Cross - & fetched 1000 pounds – she is a very charming woman – I got in well with the pic – both stayed in for luncheon.”^[1] The Haldins were so pleased with the portrait they commissioned one of the sitter’s father Philip Edward Haldin; this was completed in 1936 [7160]. A portrait of their daughter Ann was painted in 1931 [5557].

Hugh Neville Haldin was born 17 November 1918, the eldest child of Sir Philip Edward Haldin and his wife Edna Caroline Neville-Cohen. He was an accomplished rider and enjoyed hunting and point-to-point racing. He owned many prize-winning show horses, which were trained by Count Robert Orssich, the premier show-horse producer of his day and founder of the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

Hugh Haldin was a leading breeder of Dairy Shorthorns and established the famous Hinxhill herd in 1945, for which he won numerous awards. He lived at Court Lodge, Hinxhill, near Ashford,where he was a member of the East Ashford Rural Council, and chairman of the Public Health Committee. He served as a governor of Brook School and a warden at St Mary’s Church, Hinxhill. He was also president-elect of the Shorthorn Society and Chairman of the British Cattle Breeder’s Club.

The sitter never married, and died 10 June 1968 aged 49.

PROVENANCE:

By descent in the family

LITERATURE:

•László, Philip de, January-June 1935 diary, private collection, 22 March entry, p. 77; 9 April entry, p. 85; 24 April entry, p. 99; 25 April entry, p. 100; 26 April entry, p. 101; 27 April entry, p. 102

KF 2017