Lot 91
EDWARD KENNETH CENTER (1902-1986) §
PORTRAIT OF ARTHUR HEYGATE MACKMURDO
Auction: Day One | Lots 1 to 229 | Wed 15th April 2026 from 10am
Description
oil on canvas, signed upper right E. KENNETH CENTER, framed
Dimensions
58.5cm square (frame size 82cm square)
Footnote
Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo (1851-1942), pioneering architect and designer, founded the Century Guild with his fellow architect and friend, Herbert Percy Horne, in 1882. The Century Guild acted as forerunners to the Arts and Crafts movement, with some of the work created by Mackmurdo in particular viewed as early examples of the ‘Modern Style’, a particular British type of Art Nouveau. Much of his work was historically inspired, with references spanning the Italian renaissance to 18th century design motifs.
Kenneth Center was the studio assistant of Mackmurdo’s friend and mentor Sir Frank Brangwyn for many years and another of his extant works is a portrait of Brangwyn. It is thought however that Brangwyn's picture was painted posthumously, using a photograph of Mackmurdo for reference. This photograph shows the designer sitting in the same armchair to the one depicted in both Brangwyn's portrait and the current lot.