Augustus Edwin John, O.M., R.A.
Portrait of a lady in profile
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Signed l.l.: John, pencil and black chalk
45.5 x 30.5 cm.; 17 7/8 x 12 inches
Provenance
Lady Hornby (1934-2021)
Exhibited
Augustus John, Olympia, 23-28 February 1999, no. 61 (no catalogue)
This freely drawn, captivating drawing dates from c. 1904-1906. It epitomises the qualities of John’s fluent draughtsmanship and his ability to capture the essence of a sitter with apparent ease. Its immediacy, sureness and simplicity place it amongst his finest female portraits.
Sheran Cazalet was the daughter of Peter Cazalet, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother’s, racing trainer. Her grandparents, William and Maud Cazalet, were friends of Augustus John. She married Sir Simon Hornby in 1968. He was the last family member to serve as chairman of WH Smith and served as chairman of the Design Council; he died in 2010. The couple lived at The Ham, Oxfordshire, where they assembled a collection of twentieth century works on paper, created a beautiful garden and entertained in style. Many of the contents of The Ham were sold at Christie’s, London, in 2012.
