David Bomberg

Leslie Sacks Fine Art, Los Angeles , whence purchased by the present owners, October 1996

Original canvas. There is a small patch to the reverse by the centre of the left edge and there are some scattered areas of surface craquelure to the dark green pigment by the bottom of the left edge, to the right of the sitter's face and to the yellow pigment in the upper left corner. There are some small spots of old retouching by the centre of the left edge which have discoloured and some minor surface dirt otherwise in good overall condition. Under ultraviolet light there are some small spots of retouching in the upper corners, to the sitter's hair by the centre of the left edge and along the bottom edge. Held in a plaster gilt frame with canvas inset. The colours are fresher and more vibrant than the illustration suggests, notably the dark green pigments are richer.
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Inscribed by Lilian Bomberg on a label attached to the reverse: Portrait Head. myself sitting as model at 50 Lymington Road NW6 1937.

The late 1930s was a dificult time for Bomberg. The war was approaching, he rejected the London art world and in turn they rejected him because his work did not reflect the prevailing fashion for abstraction. Having failed to persuade any dealers to purchase his Toledo canvases he decided to turn to portraiture in order to secure an income. However he received few commissions, his work often being viewed as too expressive and therefore unsuitable for portraiture. Unable to afford models he began to paint himself and his second wife, Lillian. Lillian played a vital role in his development as an artist giving him the encouragement and emotional support which was so needed. An artist herself, she empathised with his commitment to art and they had an intense relationship. In 1937, disillusioned with the London art scene and with the uneasy political climate Bomberg hardly painted at all except portraits of his closest relatives. The current work depicts Lillian at this time.