RED CHALK STUDIES FOR A PORTRAIT OF DAME SYBIL THORNDIKE 

by the eminent society portrait painter and etcher

JAMES ARDERN GRANT 

(Commonly misspelt James Arden Grant)

RP ARE (1887-1973)

 With the artist's work now in many important collections including the National Portrait Gallery and the V&A.

  Pencil on paper size: 24 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches (about 62.5 x 44 cm).

James Ardern Grant painted portraits of a lot of famous people and many actresses. So many of the portraits he produced ought to be identifiable. But unfortunately, the artist wasn't terribly helpful in that he didn't identify his sitters. And I'm not terribly good at recognising even famous actresses from the 1930's and 40's, let alone members of the aristocracy. So if anyone is fantastically good at identifying them, do please get in touch!

These studies are ones that I have recognised, though, because I also have the wonderful pastel portrait of Dame Sybil Thorndike, of which a photo is also attached for reference. Dame Sybil Thorndike I did recognise and these red chalk studies are obviously related.  

The artist didn't sign very many of his pastels or pencil studies, which is sometimes quite surprising when clearly very finished, but not so surprising re this because this is very much a study. It was never usual practice to sign studies, although a lot of people don't seem to understand that or realise that that lack of understanding and the inappropriate expectation that everything should be supposed to be signed, is all too often taken advantage of and abused with fake signatures, to effect. This isn't something that should be expected to be signed, but provenance is still important and to make sure that the knowledge of authorship isn't lost, I will be inscribing the back in pencil with a short affidavit re the details of the provenance of my personal purchase at Christie's 20+ years ago. It was part of a group of pastels etc sold there by Ian Grant, the artist's son. I haven't done it yet so it isn't showing on the photo included of the back, but I will do it before posting. And those details will be repeated on the receipt.

The Artist

James Ardern Grant was born in Liverpool in 1887 and studied in Liverpool too, under Fred Burridge and Robert Anning Bell, followed by the Academie Julien (Julien's) in Paris. He also attended the London Central Technical School. He was living in London by 1914 but then served in the trenches during the First World War, returning to London to teach at the Central School of Arts and Craft in Southampton Row. He ran its life classes and was Head of Painting and was asked to become the principal of the school later, but declined. His own work was never put aside and as the very accomplished and acclaimed painter he was, he was very widely exhibited, including a very impressive 23 times at the Royal Academy and 27 times with the Royal Society of Portrait Painters. He also exhibited significantly with the Chenil Galleries; the Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts; the Walker Galley Liverpool; the Royal Scottish Academy; the Royal Hibernian Academy; the Royal Institute of Oil painters and the New English Art Club. He was rewarded with election as R.P. (Member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters) in 1931 and A.R.E. in 1928 (Associate of the Royal Society of Painter Etchers and Engravers). He was also president of the Pastel Society from 1945. And his work is notably now included in many of the most important permanent collections in the country, including the National Portrait Gallery and the V&A.

 As the well known and successful portrait painter, his subjects included members of the Royal family, socialites, actresses. business leaders and politicians etc. And given the celebrity of so many (the majority) of his sitters, many more of his portraits could/should be identifiable through appropriate research. He didn't just paint celebrities, though, in that he was obviously rather nicely fond of painting his own wife, Anne, and his son, Ian. Another favourite repeated sitter was actually also a local barmaid, who started out as an occasional model but who became a close family friend. I met Ian Grant once, and he spoke of that lady with great fondness and did tell me her name, but I've stupidly forgotten it. I do have a couple of works that Ian Grant identified as her though, so I know what she looked like. 

In the years before WW1, James Ardern Grant was a member of the Liverpool founded Sandon Studios Society (founded 1905), which was a society largely formed from former students of Liverpool University's School of Architecture and Applied Art which had thrived under the tuition and inspiration of such artists as Augustus John and Robert Anning Bell. 

The very useful ARTUK site, which has recorded all the oil paintings (only the oil paintings) in public galleries and collections in the UK, is always worth a look. And there are 4 of James Ardern Grants portraits illustrated there.

 Hope you like, but do please come and chat if you're interested or to ask any questions. And please note that UK postage is complementary and included in the "buy it now".