Edward Burra

(British, 1905-1976)

Portrait of William Chappell 61 x 38 cm. (24 x 14 7/8 in.)

Footnotes

Provenance
The Artist, by whom gifted to
William Chappell, thence by descent
Sale; Sotheby's, London, 15 July 2008, lot 56, where acquired by the present owner
Private Collection, U.K.

Exhibited
London, Hayward Gallery, Edward Burra, 1 August-29 September 1985, cat.no.16; this exhibition travelled to Southampton Art Gallery, 19 October-24 November 1985, Leeds City Art Gallery, 4 December 1985-12 January 1986, Norwich Castle Museum, 22 January-23 February 1986
London, Lefevre Fine Art, Edward Burra 1905-1976, May-June 2005, cat.no.1
Chichester, Pallant House Gallery, Edward Burra, 22 October 2011-19 February 2012, cat.no.89; this exhibition travelled to Nottingham, Djanogly Gallery, 3 March-27 May 2012

Literature
Andrew Causey, Edward Burra: Complete Catalogue, Phaidon Press, Oxford, 1985, cat.no.37 (ill.b&w)
Exh.cat., Edward Burra, Hayward Gallery in association with Arts Council of Great Britain, 1985, p.18, cat.no.16, pl.2 (col.ill.)
Jane Stevenson, Edward Burra: Twentieth Century Eye, Jonathan Cape, London 2007, pp.171-172
Simon Martin, Edward Burra, Lund Humphries in association with Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, 2011, pp.26-27, cat.no.21 (col.ill.)

William Chappell was born in Wolverhampton in 1907 and later moved to Balham, South London to become a fashion journalist. He attended Chelsea Polytechnic where he met Burra, with whom he bonded over their exceptional youth (Chappell was aged just 14, Burra 16). On leaving college, Chappell became committed to dance, performing in cabarets and classical ballet, before turning his hand to stage design, including Swan Lake at the Coliseum in 1947. This established his reputation but he later seized the opportunity to direct and produce and among other notable examples, was assistant director to Orson Welles on Moby Dick in 1955.

In the Autumn of 1925, the two young men first travelled to Paris together, a trip they repeated over the years, as well as visits further south to Cassis, Marseilles and Toulon. On these trips they, and friends, indulged their shared love of popular culture, spending time in cinemas, circuses, dance and music halls. These experiences and the abundant 'low life' of the local bars and cafes was to set Burra's art on a new course as he looked to the streets, and the characters that inhabited them, for inspiration.

The present work is an exceptional and rare oil by Burra, who is more commonly recognised as an outstanding watercolourist. Of the few known oil paintings by him the earliest dates from 1927 and the latest 1931. Andrew Causey comments "It has been suggested that he painted so little in oil because the public did not want it; because his health made oil painting difficult; and because a watercolour kit was easier to carry on his travels" (Edward Burra, Complete Catalogue, Phaidon Oxford, 1985, p.22). The third theory is called into question by the present work which was painted abroad in Paris. The real reason was that Burra was motivated to achieve a smooth finish that was made possible by modified watercolour paint, but virtually impossible to realise in oils.

Portrait of William Chappell was painted in 1928, at the height of their early friendship and the artist gifted the work directly to his sitter. Chappell is depicted here in an intimate head and shoulders arrangement, dressed formally in a suit and rendered in warm, earthy tones. The artist has focussed his efforts on the face of his beloved friend, rather than his clothes or surroundings which are described more loosely, and he is shown composed, with a striking blue gaze and chiselled jawline. It is recorded that 'Billy' treasured this painting all his life, hanging it in his dining room.

We are grateful to Professor Jane Stevenson for her assistance in cataloguing this lot.