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• Auction House:
  Bonhams Australia
• Sale Name:
  Important Australian Art
• Sale Date:
  29 Nov 2022 ~ 6pm (AEST)
• Lot #:
  62
• Lot Description:
  Arthur Boyd
  (1920-1999)
  Portrait of Frank Kellaway, 1945-46
  oil on canvas
  82.5 x 63.5cm (32 1/2 x 25in).
  signed and dated lower right: 'Arthur Boyd 1946'; inscribed verso: 'ARTHUR BOYD / MURRUMBEENA / VICTORIA / MARODIAN GALLERY / BRISBANE'
  EXHIBITED: Arthur Boyd Retrospective Exhibition, David Jones Gallery, Sydney, 4 - 16 September 1950, cat. 32, as Portrait of a Young Writer; John Martin's Gallery, Adelaide, 12 April 1951, cat. 41, as Portrait of a Young Writer; Arthur Boyd, Marodian Gallery, Brisbane, October 1951, as Portrait of a Young Writer; Exhibition of paintings, ceramics, graphics and tapestries by Arthur Boyd, Melville Hall, Australian National University, Canberra, 21-26 October 1971, cat. 45G; Arthur Boyd, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 15 December 1993 - 6 March 1994, then touring; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 20 March - 23 May 1994; Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, 9 June - 21 August 1994; Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, 22 September - 20 November 1994
• Provenance:
  Private collection, Canberra
• References:
  'At Sydney Galleries', Le Courier Australien, Sydney, 8 September 1950, p. 7, as Portrait of a Young Writer; 'Melb. painter in oils show', Brisbane Telegraph, Queensland, 22 October 1951, p. 7, as Portrait of a Young Writer; Franz Philipp, Arthur Boyd, Thames and Hudson, London, 1967, cat. 4.39, pp. 57-58; Ursula Hoff, The Art of Arthur Boyd, Andre Deutsch, London, 1986, pl. 56 (illus.); Barry Pearce, Arthur Boyd, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 1993, p. 49, cat. 24 (illus.)
• Notes:
  Whilst Arthur Boyd is lesser known for his portraits, he painted a considerable number throughout his career, which were significant in the development of his painterly style. It is understood that none of his portraits were commissioned by the sitters, as all were friends or in the close circle of the artist. Knowing his subjects socially, Boyd explored the subtle psychological characteristics and states individuals manifest in illustrations that have been described as 'character comments.' 1. Boyd's portrait of Frank Kellaway belongs to the period between 1945 to 1946 where he produced close to thirty paintings, 'when problems of physiognomic expression were occupying him in his large-figure biblical paintings.' 2 In his struggle to determine how to paint the protagonists in the biblical paintings, Boyd turned to his friends, the resulting portraits functioning as painterly cyphers. Within Melbourne's milieu, Boyd and Kellaway were of a similar age, temperament and with shared intellectual passions. Kellaway, a poet, artist and writer, 'moved in wide circles throughout his life, where the names of acquaintances and friends recall an era of Australian intellectual and artistic life.'3 A friendship between the pair quickly developed. Whilst the portrait adheres to Boyd's formal representation of character, with sitters emerging out of the darkness under direct light, the direction of such light appears differently in the portrait of Kellaway. Unlike other portraits from the mid 1940s, which use a source of direct overhead light to accentuate the harshness of facial features, Kellaway appears to be lit from the front, back and side, surrounded by a softly glowing yellow halo. Once titled Portrait of a Young Writer, Kellaway's untamed curls and loose clothing suggest a youthful naivety. 4 However, the turn of his head as he gazes beyond the canvas show him in a moment of deep thought, affirming the academia of the writer. This considered exploration of Kellaway's character is a charming tribute to their friendship, and a clear attempt at a more naturalistic style of portraiture for the artist, creating a path forward to the figures of his celebrated biblical paintings. Azura Nichols 1. Franz Phillip, Arthur Boyd, Thames and Hudson, London, pp. 57; 2. ibid., p. 57; 3. Frank Kellaway in conversation with Craig Robertson, 2006; 4. Barry Pearce, Arthur Boyd Retrospective, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 1993, p. 49
• Estimate:
  A$30,000 - 50,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Art

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.