112672

DESTROYED

Landscape study

Knoydart, Scotland 1915

View across a field with a gravestone in the foreground on the left and a tree to the right

Oil on canvasboard, 40.6 x 33 cm (16 x 13 in.)

Studio Inventory, p. 118 (699): Knoydart, Mallaig

In the artist’s Studio Inventory this landscape is identified as Mallaig a port in Lochaber near Knoydart, the Scottish sporting estate of the Bowlby family. De László and his wife Lucy visited in October 1915 and she mentions their arrival in her diary: “Arrd Mallaig about 11.30. Mr & Mrs Bowlby met us there, & also Mr & Mrs Foster, who travelled up in same train. We all got on to the Yacht – It was a glorious day – After lunch, we steamed down the lough & into Knoydart.”^[1] 

The present picture was destroyed after the artist’s death but the surviving photograph appears to show a gravestone in the lower left corner suggesting it may have been painted on Sunday 3 October when Lucy mentions that they “Went to the nice little Kirk by the sea – A nice young Highlander preached. Mr Bowlby played the organ.”^[2]

During the 1915 visit the artist painted three other studies of the landscape of Knoydart [3630][4307][3625]. He returned in 1916 and painted a study of deerstalkers [11459].

The estate was owned by Arthur Bowlby whom the artist painted in July 1915 [2885], a close friend and important patron of the artist. De László also painted his wife Catherine Bowlby [2880] in 1914 and made a portrait drawing during his 1915 visit [2505]. Their son David was also painted at this time [132702] and their daughter Ursula in 1923 [13703].

PROVENANCE:

In the artist’s studio on his death;

Destroyed in accordance with the terms of the artist’s will

LITERATURE:

•László, Lucy de, 1915 Diary, private collection

KF 2022