6178

Portrait drawing

Arthur Hamilton Lee 1908

Half-length, in profile to the right, three-quarter face looking to the viewer, wearing a dark jacket and tie

Charcoal on grey paper, 49.5 x 34 cm (19 ½ x 13 ⅜ in.)

Inscribed lower left: P.A. László / 1908

Inscribed centre right: In remembrance of my / days in New York / to Miss Faith Moore / 908 III / László

The Administrative Trustees of the Chequers Estate

In the summer of 1908, de László and his wife Lucy stayed at Glendoe Lodge, near Inverness,^[1] with Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Lee, where the artist made a three-quarter length portrait of Ruth Lee [6184]. During his stay, he also executed two study portraits in oil of Arthur Lee in semi-profile to the right [6175] & [6181] to mark their growing friendship.

Considering that the present portrait drawing was also executed in 1908, and that its composition is almost identical to that of the signed study-portrait done at Glendoe Lodge [6175], it is very likely that it was also done there, despite de László’s inscription centre right citing March 1908, the date when he made the portrait of Ruth’s and Faith Moore’s aunt, Ella [6197]. De László’s dedication suggests that Faith, Arthur Lee’s sister-in-law, was present during the sittings. The artist quite often inscribed and signed works that remained in his studio at a later stage, sometimes years after the portrait was executed, giving rise to occasional inaccuracies.

For biographical notes on the sitter, see [11019].

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. 182, ill.

CC 2008