5745

Portrait drawing

Mrs John Hall, née Jean Isobel Nesbitt 1919

Head and shoulders in three-quarter profile to the left, wearing a plain white blouse  and collar just indicated

Pencil with white heightening and blue chalk on pale buff paper, 36.5 x 28.6 cm (14 ⅓  x 11 ½ in.)

Inscribed, lower right: in memory of the 23 June / 1919 / P A de László

Inscribed lower left: [illegible] 375 [in another hand]

Laib L14717 (812) / C11 (28): Mrs Hall

NPG 1919-25 Album, p. 1

Private Collection

After nearly two years of internment during the First World War, de László’s case was brought before the Naturalisation Revocation Committee to decide if he would be allowed to retain his British citizenship. John Hall and his wife, née Jean Isobel Nesbitt, had known the artist since 1907 and appeared as witnesses in his defence. The trial began 23 June 1919 and the artist has inscribed the drawing in memory of this. He painted a three-quarter length portrait of John Hall [5739] in September that year 

The Hall and de László families remained friends for many years and the artist made nine portraits of them in all. A three-quarter length portrait of the sitter [5747] was painted in 1923 as a pendant to that of her husband [5739]. Four of their six children were also painted or drawn: John in 1920 [5753], Joan in 1921 [5756], Thomas in 1922 [5755] and Philip in 1935 [5750].

PROVENANCE:

By descent in the family

KF 2018