Augustus John

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Augustus John
1878-1961
Portrait of Hugo Pitman
1936
Red chalk on paper.
19 1/16 x 14 inches (48.5 x 35.5 cm)
Gift of Mrs. Lawrence Hughes in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Morgan Library and the 50th anniversary of the Association of Fellows.
2000.11
Notes: 

Augustus John had thirty-seven works in the 1913 Armory Show in New York, which introduced American audiences to progressive European art, although his style was indebted to the Old Masters. Between the wars, he became a leading society portraitist, though his reputation waned in his later years. In addition to commissioned portraits, he did many portraits of lovers and friends, including this one of his close friend Hugo Pitman.

Inscription: 

Signed and dated at upper right, "John / 36"; inscribed at lower left, in pencil, "Pitman [?]". Inscribed on back of old frame at lower center, in pencil, "1485"; in white chalk, "Muhhll[?]S", crossed out, and directly below, "No 5/2 [the underscore beneath "No 5" and above "2"]"; at upper center, "Hughes", partly effaced.

Provenance: 
Hugo Pitman, Esq., London; Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Hughes.
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