13214

Paul Leonardo de Laszlo with Roses 1911

Seated three-quarter length to the left, head turned and looking to the right, wearing a pale blue dressing gown falling off his left shoulder, and holding a spray of red roses

Oil on canvas, 87.6 x 61 cm (34 ½ x 24 in.)

Inscribed top left: P. A. László / Pixt  

Private Collection

The family moved to England in 1907 and this portrait is of Paul at about the age of five. It is both portrait and subject picture, an expression of childhood exemplified by the spray of fresh flowers and Paul’s childlike form highlighted by the adult dressing gown draped around him. It was still common at this time for boys to wear longer hair and dresses up to the age of three or four, a relic of ‘breeching,’ practiced since the 16th century.

The present picture is a sentimental representation of childhood, influenced by Victorian attitudes towards children as innocents who should be shielded from the adult world. Artists such as Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-73), in his portraits of Queen Victoria’s children^[1], and Sir John Everett Millais (1829-1896) with subject pictures such as ‘Bubbles,’^[2] were greatly influential in perpetuating these attitudes and the popularity of the depiction of children in this way. De László painted a version of Millais work using two of his sons Stephen and Paul as models [13190].

Lucy recorded in her diary on 21 September: “P. has been working every day at Paul’s pic.x since Sat= last. He lets in sun from window at end of Studio. Green curtain he has replaced by a grey one – wh: works in far better for gen: tone of picture. Paul’s hair & body & the flowers I say are so brilliant, all surroundings sd be unnoticeable not zudringlich [intrusive].”^[3]  De László uses light to focus the viewer on Paul’s angelic innocence, drawing attention to the whiteness of his skin in contrast to his red hair and blue velvet gown that encompasses him. This work shows the artist at the height of his powers, delighting in his skill and using it to explore the effects of light, texture, and colour to great effect.  

Paul Leonardo^[4] de Laszlo was born in Vienna on 6 January 1906, the third son of Philip Alexius de László and his wife Lucy Madeline Guinness.  His second Christian name was given to him in honour of  Leonardo da Vinci, who de László much admired.  He was educated at Twyford School, near Winchester, Rugby (where he was known for his debating skills) and Balliol College, Oxford.  At Oxford he was a keen boxer, and very much involved in the Oxford Union Debating Society. After graduating from Oxford he taught history at Eton for a term, and was asked to join the permanent staff.  He declined the offer and spent a year (1927-1928) in New York working in the bank of Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.  

On his return from the US he read for the Bar and worked for the solicitors Gregory Rowcliffe in London. He was called to the Bar in 1929 and practised until the outbreak of the war. In June 1933 he married Josephine Vavasour McConnell. They had three children, Christopher (born 1936), Ann (born 1938) and Jane (born 1942) and lived in Tite Street and later, Southcote Lodge, Camberley.

During the war Paul served as a Lieutenant Commander Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves based at Bletchley Park.  He served in North Africa, inspected Naval Radio stations and worked in the special section of the Admiralty. He was awarded an OBE. He was a close friend of General Montgomery’s Chief of Staff, Freddie de Guingand. After the war he joined English Electric as personal assistant and legal advisor to the chairman, Sir George Nelson. He became a director of the company and retired in 1969.

His interests included photography, cine-photography, woodwork, clocks and watches, and natural history. During his schooldays he knew Harry Abrahams and they shared a job collecting films to be developed. At the age of 14 he became a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society. He took many of the photographs in John Ramsbottom’s book Mushrooms and Toadstools. A keen amateur conjurer, he was very skilled with his hands. During the war, when he was at home and had the time, he taught carpentry to his son Christopher and his contemporaries in his workshop.  He enjoyed designing and building electrical gadgets. Visitors to Orchards, Godalming (where he moved in 1946) were fascinated by the movie screen which was hidden behind the panelling in the hall, and which would appear at the press of a button as the lights dimmed. He took a great interest in his family which included many cousins with whom he remained in touch until he died.  He was referred to as “The Rock of the Family” and took great pleasure in his eight grandchildren.

He lived at Orchards until 1974 when he moved to Haslemere, Surrey. He died in December 1983, twenty two months after his wife Josephine.

PROVENANCE:

In the possession of the artist on his death;

By descent in the family

LITERATURE:

•Field, Katherine ed., Transcribed by Susan de Laszlo, The Diaries of Lucy de László Volume I: (1890-1913), de Laszlo Archive Trust, 2019, p. 193, ill. p. 192

•László, Lucy de, 1911 diary, private collection

KF 2012