10596

Preparatory drawing

Lieutenant Colonel Leresanu in the Uniform of King Ferdinand I of Romania 1936

Standing three quarter length slightly to the left, wearing full dress uniform and a cloak, a baton in his right hand, resting against his right thigh, holding his plumed hat under his left arm

Black pastel and soft pencil, highlighted with chalk on paper, 43.8 x 27.9 cm (17 ¼ x 11 in.)

Indistinctly inscribed lower left: Cotroceni Palais / 1936 II . III   

Sitters' Book II, opp. f. 86: Lt. Colonel Leresanu C. / 7. Feb. 1936. / Palais Cotroceni / Bukarest / Stood in uniform for the / posthumous portrait of / King Ferdinand of Roumania

Private Collection

Colonel Leresanu posed for the posthumous portrait of King Ferdinand I of Romania [4217] that de László painted during his stay in Bucharest 1936. Queen Marie’s diary entry for 3 February 1936 describes the process: “We also arranged that in the afternoon Jolly [Leresanu] stood in Nando’s uniform, so that László had a living model and a large photograph head. And when I came home from my ride with Marie Flo^[1] he made an admirable sketch and quite found what he wanted.”^[2] 

A further sitting took place 7 February and the Queen sat and watched the progress of the picture: “Sat for awhile in the studio whilst Laszlo painted at the picture of Nando. He slightly modifed [sic.] the attitude which he had made rather too martial, not quite keeping with his extreme modesty. It is much better this.”^[3]

Painting posthumous portraits was not something de László enjoyed doing, always preferring to work from life using the sight-size technique. However, he was obliged to paint a number of such portraits during the First World War, for families who had lost sons in the fighting, see The Hon. Robert Palmer [7071] and Arthur Rosdew Burn [111215].

For more information on the portrait of King Ferdinand, see [4217].

PROVENANCE:  

In the possession of the artist on his death

LITERATURE:

•Roumania, Queen Marie (of). Diaries, Vol. III 195, rola 489, pp. 79, 85, National Archives, Bucharest

•Hart-Davis, Duff, in collaboration with Caroline Corbeau-Parsons, De László: His Life and Art, Yale University Press, 2010, p. 270

•DLA123-0078, letter from Queen Marie of Romania to Lucy de László, 29 November 1936

KF 2014