DLA116-0078 Transcription

WOLMER WOOD,

MARLOW COMMON,

MARLOW, BUCKS.

May 4th 1924

My dear friend

I think you said that you expected me next Wednesday, so I propose to inflict myself upon you, as usual, unless you do not, for any reason, want me to come.

The Academy is an interesting show but I expect will call it rather dull.^[1] There is a fairly good Sargent, several brilliant but rather brutal Orpens, one very pretty Sims –– his portrait of the King is clever but not particularly pleasant –– and a Russell Flint picture much like the one he had last year only on a rather larger scale. The best landscape, I think, is one by Arnesby Brown.^[2]

[Page 2]

Augustus John’s things are quite beastly – dirty colour, badly drawn, and coarsely painted. Cope is dull and Solomon heavy, and Kelly is about up to his usual level. David Murray also is much as usual.^[3] I did not find many exciting things in the show. By the way, in spite of the fact that Augustus John is supposed to be the greatest living portrait painter I much prefer your portrait of Robert Fleming [5083] to his.

always yours

A.L. Baldry.

Editorial Note:

Alfred Lys Baldry (1858-1939), British artist and art critic who authored several articles on de László and who was a close family friend; for biographical notes, see [3562].

SMDL

14/01/2025

[1] Royal Academy of Arts, London, The One Hundred and Fifty-Sixth Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, 1924

[2] John Singer Sargent exhibited a portrait of Sir Philip Sassoon (no. 47). William Orpen (1878–1931) exhibited portraits of the Viscount Wimborne (no. 15); Viscount Milner (no. 110); the Archbishop of York (no. 154); John McCormack (no. 243); the Duke of Westminster (no. 273), and “Sergeant Murphy” and things (no. 655). Charles Sims exhibited portraits of Barbara and Elisabeth, daughters of Philip Reckitt (no. 43); Mrs Jeudwine and her son Wynne (no. 126); H.M. the King (no. 132); Barbara, daughter of H. Flatau (no. 320), and a picture entitled Wedgwood (no. 515). William Russell Flint exhibited The Lemnians (no. 361) and Harvesters, Aragon (no. 807). Arnesby Brown exhibited The Hollow (no. 46); The Big River (no. 107); and The Smug and Silver Trent (no. 188).

[3] Augustus John exhibited portraits of Princess Antoine Bibesco (no. 27); Robert Fleming (no. 127), and Sir Charles Scott Sherrington (no. 630). Arthur Cope exhibited portraits of Mrs John Ireland (no. 166); J. H. Townsend Green (no. 284); a picture entitled The Last Day of the Season (no. 469), and portraits of Mr and Mrs E. G. Baron Lethbridge (no. 536 and no. 544). Solomon J. Solomon exhibited portraits of Sir Julian Orde (no. 39); the Lady Swaythling (no. 83); Colonel John R. P. Gooden (no. 114), and Mrs Burrowes of Stradone and her son Bobby (no. 138). Gerald Kelly exhibited portraits of Capt. F. A. M. Browning (no. 158); Jane XXIV (no. 210); Arthur Bouchier as “John Silver” (no. 230); Viscount Cave (no. 269); the Lady Berwick (no. 297), and Sub-Lieut. H. N. Clegg (no. 349). David Murray exhibited On the Dove Near Derby (no. 18); The Vicar’s Close, Wells Cathedral (no. 139); Wells Cathedral (no. 272); A Corner of the Cloisters, Wells Cathedral (no. 445); Crumbling Cloisters, Wells Cathedral (no. 464), and Wells, Somerset (no. 493).