| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Power & beauty |
| Subtitle of host publication | the art of Sir Oswald Birley |
| Editors | Jonathan Black |
| Place of Publication | London |
| Publisher | Philip Mould & Co. |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780992726430 |
| Publication status | Published - 2017 |
Bibliographical note
Impact: The exhibition and accompanying book proved poular with the public. Two thirds of the book, printrun 1,500 copies had sold out by the end of 2017.The exhibition and book contriubted considerably in raising the proifle of Birley whose reputation had dimned quickly after his death. Crictics noted that my chapter within the book provided the reader with an excellent introduction to Birley's career and his place within British art of the first half of the Twentieth Century. Many of the 50 works by Birley reproduced in my chapter had not been reproduced before. Birley's place alongside contemporary admirers of his portraiture such as: John, Orpen, Munnings, Kelly and Glyn Phlipot, now seems much more assured and better understood.
Contributed essay (11,000 words) exploring the life and portaiture of Oswald Birley (1880-1952) a friend and contemporary of British portraitists who are better known today such as Augustus John, William Orpen, Gerald Kelly and Ambrose McEvoy. This essay is the most substantial piece of writing on Birley since 1954 and the first to benefit from access to archival material in private (the Estate) and semi-public hands (such as the Royal Archives at Windsor). This essay explores how Birley's career developed, which influences moulded his approach to painting, the significance of the periods he spent in India and Thailand between the Wars and why he proved such as success in the United States c. 1922-28 and 1948-52.
Keywords
- Art and design