2800

Mrs Oswald Battine, née Audrey Magee 1935

Seated, three-quarter length to the right on a French sofa, wearing a dark purple velvet stole over an amethyst- coloured evening dress, pearl earrings and a wide jade bracelet on her left wrist, with her right hand on her hip and her left resting on the arm of the sofa. 

Oil on canvas, 114.3 x 89.9 cm (45 x 35 ⅜ in.)

Inscribed lower right: de Laszlo / 1935. X. 

Laib L19509 (507) / C2 (22a)

NPG Album 1935, p. 34

Sitters’ Book II, opp. f. 85: Audrey Battine. Oct 3rd 1935-.

Private Collection

According to de László’s diary Mrs Battine first visited his studio 26 July 1935: “at 6 ocl- a most delightful young Irish lady came – dau[n]ty^[1] – refined with black hair - & deep warm Eyes who wishes to be painted – she is fascinating - & will be a perfect subject to be painted in the autumn – it is long since I had a similar Lady’s sitter – very inspiring.”^[2] Mrs Battine returned with her father the next day to view the artist’s portrait of Madeleine Caroll [3969], as a possible choice of composition for her own portrait, and to select a suitable style of frame.

Sittings began 24 September 1935 and de László clearly relished the commission: “in the afternoon – did studies - & decided on the portrait of Mrs Battine…very interesting attractive – strange - & inspiring – very beautiful figure – slender & distinguished deep – black hear [sic, i.e. “hair”] - & Eyes – Irish – in full face – just beautiful – otherwise superficial – but certainly not sophisticated – I will be able to do something to my liking.”^[3] 

De László had very firm ideas about how his sitters should be dressed and had decided to paint Mrs Battine in red velvet. On 1 October, however, she arrived at the studio with various dresses which she preferred to be painted in and a gown of chiffon lamé shot with gold and accompanying purple velvet stole by Worth was decided on. Two preparatory oil sketches [2802] [112216] were completed, showing the sitter wearing a gold necklace with an amethyst pendant. The artist decided this should not appear in the finished picture, which led to an argument during the next day’s sitting: “During the morning had great disputes with Mrs Battine and suggested – if she further interferes in my portrait of her – to refuse painting her – when she calmed down! & began the canvas.”^[4] Nine further sittings took place, the last of which was on 17 October.

According to family recollection, Mrs Battine thought the artist had been unflattering in his depiction of her, making her eyebrows too heavy and her nose too prominent. A space had been reserved for the portrait on the staircase of the family home in Grosvenor Street, London, but was never hung. The price paid for the portrait was 900 guineas.^[5]

Audrey Winifred Radcliffe Magee was born 15 May 1904, the daughter of Joseph Magee, a brewer, and his wife Annie Marshall. The Magee-Marshall Brewery was based in Bolton, Lancashire. She married 14 August 1926, Oswald James Battine (1905-1938) at St George’s, Hanover Square. They had a daughter (born 1929). The couple separated just before this portrait was painted and he died on active service with the Royal Engineers in India in 1938.

Mrs. Battine succeeded her mother as Chairman of the Magee-Marshall Brewery in 1951. It was the largest private brewery in existence at the time. She died at Maryland, the family home in Bolton, 12 December 1965, leaving a very considerable estate.

PROVENANCE:

By descent in the sitter’s family;

Sold at Bonham’s, London, 25 June 2014, lot 134;

Richard Green Gallery, London, 2014;

Private Collection

LITERATURE:

•Woman’s Journal, vol. XVIII, no. 105, July1936, front cover, ill.

•DLA059-0094, letter from to Mrs Battine to de László, 26 August 1935

•DLA059-0097, receipt from de László to Mrs Battine, 18 December 1935

•László, Philip de, 1935 diary, private collection

KF 2014