- 79
Ambrose McEvoy, A.R.A.
Description
- Ambrose McEvoy, A.R.A.
- Portrait of Madame Gandrillas and her Children, Marie-Rose, Carmen and Juana
- signed l.l.: McEvoy
- oil on canvas
- 204 by 172.2cm., 80½ by 68in.
Provenance
Julian Simon Fine Art Ltd, London where purchased by the present owner in 1993
Exhibited
Literature
Albert Rutherston (ed.), Contemporary British Artists: Ambrose McEvoy, 1924, illustrated pl.22;
Sebastian Faulks, The Fatal Englishman: Three Short Lives, 2010, p.11
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Having painted Tony’s aunt, McEvoy was a natural choice for a family portrait of the Gandarillas family. Madame Gandarillas was a striking figure, described by the classical pianist Arthur Rubinstein as a 'lovely, very elegant young woman' (quoted in Andrew W. Moore, The Stylemakers, 2010, p.26), which McEvoy captures powerfully here. A noticeable absence in the family portrait is Tony himself. Originally he stood to the side of Madame Gandarillas but was painted out not long after McEvoy finished the work on account of Tony’s scandalous lifestyle. As described by Sebastian Faulks in The Fatal Englishman: Three Short Lives, Tony ‘was exhaustingly, indefatigably social: after parties, he loved food, drink, opium, gambling, travel, art and young men' (p.11). Indeed one of his significant relationships was with the charming but vulnerable English modernist painter, Christopher Wood, who became Tony's curio and protégé. With their marriage broken down, Madame Gandarillas was having a sporadic affair with the English art critic and Bloomsbury group member, Clive Bell.