Roy De Maistre C.B.E. (Australian / British 1894-1968) §
Figure in Tartan
£7,560
Auction: 28 April 2023 at 11:00 BST
Description
charcoal on paper
Dimensions
73cm x 53.5cm (28 3/4in x 21in)
Provenance
Provenance
Celia Broadbent (neé Keogh) and by direct descent to the present owner.
Celia Broadbent was de Maistre’s cousin once removed, and his executor and friend; her mother, Camilla Keogh, was the subject of ‘La Folie', considered one of de Maistre’s major works.
Footnote
Roy de Maistre is celebrated as an Australian pioneer of abstraction. After graduating from Sydney’s Royal Art Society, de Maistre worked as a colour therapist to aid World War One soldiers suffering from shellshock. A 1923 scholarship enabled him to travel to London, Paris and St Jean de Luz, where he encountered European modernism; Cubism, in particular, had a profound impact on his style.
In 1930 de Maistre settled in London, where he befriended Francis Bacon, encouraged him to take up oil painting and is credited for expanding Bacon’s technical and art-historical knowledge. The two artists took neighbouring studios on the King’s Road, Chelsea, and their output in the early 1930s demonstrates mutual influence.
De Maistre predominantly painted portraits and interior scenes. He also maintained an interest in religious subjects which intensified following World War Two; his 1954 ‘Stations of the Cross’ remain on display at Westminster Cathedral. A retrospective of De Maistre’s work was held at the Whitechapel Gallery in 1960, and his work is represented in important collections including Tate Britain, the National Gallery of Australia, and the Arts Council of Great Britain.
The present collection comes from de Maistre’s cousin-once-removed Celia Broadbent, who was his executor and friend. Celia’s mother was Camilla Keogh, subject of ‘La Folie’ (1946-47), considered one of de Maistre’s major works.