KAREL LEK (1929-2020) OF BEAUMARIS, ANGLESEY
MBE, ROYAL CAMBRIAN ACADEMY of ART, ART TEACHING DIPLOMA, SOCIETY of WOOD ENGRAVERS
VINTAGE MIXED MEDIA ON PAPER 1993
Please read through the whole of the description. There is a lots of information. I would not like you to miss some information which may be important to you.
I have included a listing of all the works exhibtited at the Royal Canbrian Academy annula exhibitions between 1950 and 1992, the most recent year for which I have been able to get information.
Note about the images: Many of the GŴYL BIWMARES - BEAUMARIS FESTIVAL images have a bluish hue to them. I am sorry, I do not know what has caused this, but rest assured that the black is actually black and the paper is white or creamish white. Please ask if you would like to see more detailed images, and I will do my best to make sure that they represent the true colours.
Each item relating to GŴYL BIWMARES - BEAUMARIS FESTIVAL is listed as part of a group and individually. That will give those who would like just one item a chance.
Please contact me If you would like to have the whole collection as it stands at that time.
I will be happy to discuss a deal with you.
About these pictures
Please scroll down to see the biography of Karel Lek which I have made from information garnered from very many different sources.
I have also added a list of Karel Lek's works which were exhibited at the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art between 1950 and 1992, the latest year for which I can find information.
The first GŴYL BIWMARES - BEAUMARIS FESTIVAL was in 1986. Professor Anthony Hose, Professor of Music at Stetson University, Florida, USA has been Festival Director for its entire 36 year history. The Karel Lek collection I have acquired includes nearly 50 original sketches of performers and Festival personalities made in the auditorium. Together with the originals there are 100 photocopies, made by Karel Lek himself, of many additional works of which I do not have the originals. They span the period from 1986 to 1997. I assume that Karel Lek, being a professional artist, would have sold many of his sketches to the subjects.
In all, they provide an insight into the history of the GŴYL BIWMARES - BEAUMARIS FESTIVAL and those who performed there, the wide range of music styles offered and the sheer quality of the performers.
Tom Orrett – Cornet – He appears to have been a cornet player who played with a band which was based in Liverpool I think. As far as I can make out he played with the band when the Tall ships visited Liverpool, but in which year I have not been able to find out. Please see my note below.
I am afraid that, without more information from the festival programme for
1993, I have nothing to offer you.
I have been in touch with Professor Anthony Hose, the Festival’s Director who
tells me that he has a full set of programmes from 1986 to date. Unfortunately,
he is at Stetson University, Florida, and his programmes are in Cardiff. I do
not know when he is due to return.
About the artist
KAREL LEK (1929-2020) MBE, RCamA, ATD, SWE
Karel Lek was born to Hendrik Lek (1903-1985) ARCamA and
Sophie at Antwerp, Belgium in 1929. The Lek family, although Jewish were
members of Vrijdenkersvereniging
De Vrije Gedachte (DVG) (English: Freethinkers association The Free
Thought), a Dutch atheist–humanist association of freethinkers.
In 1940, the family moved to London after the German invasion of Belgium when
Karel was 11 years old. As aliens, they were initially interned, but when it
soon became clear that Hendrik Lek had dual Belgian and British nationality by
right of the fact that Karel’s Great Great Grandfather had spent some years in
London, cutting and polishing the diamonds for Queen Victoria’s crown.
Hendrik Lek was involved in the diamond cutting and polishing industry which soon moved, along with the BBC, from London to Bangor, North Wales for safety reasons. Hendrik was also a collector and dealer in antiques.
Once at Bangor, the family was billeted in a Council house. His Mother, Sophie was somewhat overprotective of Karel, fearing antisemitism. Sophie had lost nearly all her family during the holocaust.
Karel attended Farrar Road Grammar School from 1941 to 1946, after which he went to study at the Liverpool College of Art from 1946 – 1952 under Karel Vogel and Geoffrey Wedgewood. He earned an Art Teaching Diploma (ATD) after which he went to teach in the East End of London where he met and married Phyllis Pinness at Hampstead in 1957.
After World War II, in 1946, the Lek family moved to Beaumaris where Hendrik had acquired a 15th century building known as The Tudor Rose at 32 Castle Street. Restoring the beautiful timber framed building became an obsession for Hendrik and enabled him to continue dealing in antiques. His shop and The Tudor Rose became the subject of many of his paintings.
As Karel Lek’s art progressed, The Tudor Rose became a studio and gallery for both Hendrik and Karel to make and exhibit their works.
Karel Lek worked in a wide variety of media. His work was first accepted for exhibition at the Royal Cambrian Academy in 1950. He was admitted as an Associate member in 1955, becoming a full member in 1959.
He joined a the North Wales Group of Artists which included Sir Kyffin Williams, Elis Gwyn, Tom Gerrard, Roy Ostle, Jonah Jones, Arthur Pritchard, Claudia Williams, Donald McIntyre, Helen Steinthal and Peter Chadwick. Karel also joined the circle of Jewish refugee artists that included Josef Herman and Heinz Koppel.
Karel is recorded as saying:
‘….. the country of my birth, regarding my mode of expression, which is emotional. My concern is humanity. I very often see beauty in what is often neglected.’
Karel said of his work: “I paint continuously and mostly my subjects are my fellow men and women in whatever situations I find them, whether in urban or rural surroundings. I am certainly not insensitive to the beauty of the landscape which surrounds me, but it’s the changing moods of the seasons of autumn and winter which appeal to me most.
Painters express themselves visually, and my tubes of paint and bottles of ink contain my words. If, however, others were trying to sum up my work, I hope that somewhere the words compassion and honesty might appear.”
Karel’s works were shown at the Royal Academy, Whitechapel Art Gallery, Society of Wood Engravers, Woodstock Gallery, The Royal Institute, ICA, and public galleries in Amsterdam and Llandudno.
Karel mounted one-man exhibitions at Royal Cambrian Academy, Woodstock Gallery, Oriel Bangor, and Tegfryn Gallery in Menai Bridge.
The Contemporary Art Society for Wales, The Football Association, the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, and collections overseas hold examples of his work.
In February, 2018 Karel’s painting of Bangor City fans at the Farrar Road stadium in 1952, and a wood engraving of Liverpool fans walking into Anfield were purchased by the National Football Museum in Manchester. They have since become a permanent display there.
Karel Lek found that the performers at Gŵyl Beaumaris Festival each year provided him with subjects for his work. His series of sketches runs from the inaugural event in 1986 through to 1997.
He was ever conscious of his social responsibilities and worked with programmes in the East End of London. He was awarded the MBE for charitable services to the NHS in North Wales in 2003.
He lived at Studio House, Y Bryn, Beaumaris LL58 8EE.
Karel was predeceased by Phyllis in 2009. He went home on St David’s Day 2020.
KAREL LEK (1929-2020) MBE, RCAMA, ATD, SWE
List of Exhibits at Royal Cambrian Academy
Karel Lek first exhibited at the Royal Cambrian Academy in 1950.
He was admitted as an Associate in 1955 and became a full Member in 1959.
1950
Address – Long Cottage, Penrhos Road, BANGOR.
Cat No 4 The Bus Watercolour £6/6/0
Cat No 184 Nautical Fantasy Watercolour £7/7/0
1952
Cat No 199 Homeward Print £2/12/6 Unframed £2/2/0
Cat No 204 The Cradle Print £2/2/0 Unframed
£1/11/6
1954 Address 7 Lancaster Square, Conwy
First noted as having the Art Teaching Diploma (ATD)
Cat No 169 City
Garden Aquantint £5/0/0
Cat No 173 Off to the Match Wood Engr £5/0/0
1955 Address – Long Cottage, Penrhos Road, BANGOR.
Became an Associate Member of the Royal Cambrian Academy
It would seem that Members and Associates were able to submit up to 6 works for
exhibition.
Cat No 56 February
landscape Oils £14/14/0
Cat No 94 Football Spectators in Rain Watercolour £16/16/0
Cat No 165 The Compere Pen and Wash £6/6/0
Cat No 166 Ostrich Walk Lino cut £5/5/0 Unframed £4/4/0
Cat No 177 Puppet Lovers Wood Engr £3/3/0 Unframed £2/2/0
Cat No 179 Puppet Fight Aquatint £5/5/0 Unframed
£4/4/0
1956 Address – 28 Commercial Road, LONDON E1
Cat No 50 Toy Vendor Watercolour £12/12/0
Cat No 55 Barrow Boy Watercolour £12/12/0
Cat No 168 War of Chessmen Ink £7/7/0
Cat No 170 Cradle Etching £3/3/0
Cat No 172 Puppet Choir Ink £7/7/0
Cat No 179 Saturday Night Lino cut £3/3/0
1957 Address – 31 Castle Street, Beaumaris, ANGLESEY.
Cat No 111 The Three
Kings Wood Engr £2/2/0
Cat No 115 Pram Wood Engr £2/2/0
Cat No 118 East End Lounge Bar Lino cut £5/5/0
Cat No 119 The Kiss Ink & Crayon £5/5/0
Cat No 120 Flower Vendor Ink & Crayon £7/7/0
Cat No 122 East End Music Hall Lino cut £5/5/0
1958
Cat No 84 Gossipry Watercolour £18/18/0
Cat No 86 Country Sale Viewing Watercolour £17/17/0
Cat No 202 Old Clothes Man Charcoal £17/17/0
Cat No 209 East End Lady Dry Brush £17/17/0
Cat No 211 Classified Results Wood Engr £7/7/0 Unframed
£4/4/0
Cat No 212 Objets d’Art Wood Engr £5/5/0 Unframed
£4/4/0
1959
Became a Member of the Royal Cambrian Academy
Cat No 14 Park
Benchers Watercolour £16/16/0
Cat No 19 East End Teddy Boy Watercolour £18/18/0
Cat No 108 The Broadway Oils £10/10/0
Cat No 155 Pride Watercolour & Ink £14/14/0
Cat No 157 Cat and Mouse Game Oils £18/18/0
Cat No 159 Labourers Oils £14/14/0
1960
Cat No 68 Accordionist Oils £10/10/0
Cat No 71 Bric-a-Brac Oils £12/12/0
Cat No 77 Fish Enigma Oils £12/12/0
Cat No 181 Still Life with Casserole Oils £16/16/0
Cat No 182 Stall Oils £16/16/0
Cat No 183 Men Gouache & Ink £10/10/0
1961
Cat No 2 Marionette
Passion Play Watercolour £15/15/0
Cat No 12 Onlooker Gouache & Crayon £12/12/0
Cat No 24 Hop Scotch Gouache & Ink £16/16/0
Cat No 26 Dockside Watercolour £9/9/0
Cat No 119 Dockside Oils £17/17/0
Cat No 164 Heads Coloured Inks £11/11/0
1962
Cat No 27 Lovers £10
Cat No 102 Winter landscape £14
Cat No 105 Beer Drinkers Wood Engr £10 Unframed
£7
Cat No 159 City Street £55
Cat No 168 Snowscape £22
Cat No 174 Mother & Child £30
1963
Cat No 20 King £17
Cat No 22 December landscape £18
Cat No 26 Street £32
Cat No 138 Sitting God £40
Cat No 164 Burlesque £5 Unframed
£4
1964
Cat No 31 September
landscape £30
Cat No 34 Marionette £40
Cat No 42 In the Kitchen £50
Cat No 77 Winter £20
Cat No 84 Still Life £16
Cat No 167 Anglesey landscape £30
1965
Cat No 21 Still Life
with Loaf £16
Cat No 37 Winter near Penmon £22
Cat No 45 Evening at Llanddona £22
Cat No 85 Bric-a-Brac £5 Unframed
£4
Cat No 86 The Washing Up £8
Cat No 155 Farmer and Wife £30
I suspect that Plas, Mawr, Llandudno, the home of The Royal Cambrian Academy was undergoing some restoration and renovation. I think it is for that reason that Academicians and Associates were restricted to fewer exhibits.
1966
Cat No 9 Seion
Chapel, £6
Cat No 17 Evening at Beaumaris £12
Cat No 33 Pentraeth £35
1967
Cat No 28 Terfryn,
Anglesey £60
Cat No 45 Broken Toys £20
Cat No 58 Old People £50
1968
Cat No 48 Beer
Drinkers Wood Engr £8 Unframed £6
Cat No 53 Sea £8 Unframed
£6
1969 Address – Studio House, Beaumaris
Cat No 69 Penmarian £25
Cat No 111 March Sea £25
Cat No 114 Welsh Dragon with Sentinels £40
Cat No 115 Welsh Dragon £14 Unframed
£12
1970
Cat No 2 Parys Mountain £25
Cat No 35 Parys Mountain £45
Cat No 41 Parys Mountain £45
Cat No 111 Parys Mountain £40
1971
Cat No 40 Still Life £40
Cat No 52 Winter Sea £35
Cat Nos 120 and 123 were attributed to Karel but were in fact exhibited by his
Father Hendrik Lek.
1972 Total Exhibits 130
Cat No 8 Winter Sea £120
Cat No 101 Winter Sea £90
1973
Cat No 44 Still Life £60
1974 Total Exhibits 146
Cat No 11 Anglesey
Coast £65
Cat No 80 St Remy £80
Cat No 134 Bormes-les-Mimoses £35
Cat No 140 Automaton Monkey £125
1975 Total Exhibits 175
Cat No 82 Cowlyd £100
Cat No 85 March Sea (1) £50
Cat No 86 March Sea (2) £50
Cat No 109 Results £20 Unframed £16
Cat No 151 Bric-a-Brac £20 Unframed £16
1976 Total Exhibits 170
Cat No 7 Winter in
Sychnant Oil £120
Cat No 19 Winter in Sychnant Oil £65
Cat No 46 Winter in Sychnant Oil £65
Cat No 52 Cesares Oil £80
Cat No 74 Beaumaris Oil £80
Cat No 77 Llanddona Church, Anglesey Oil £80
1977 Total Exhibits 206
Cat No 15 Ysgoldy
Chapel, Beaumaris Oil £90
Cat No 16 Snow at Church Bay Oil £70
Cat No 23 Shopping Oil £70
Cat No 24 Winter Sea Oil £120
Cat No 42 Storm over Beaumaris Oil £65
Cat No 79 Beaumaris Lifeboat House Oil £45
1978 Total Exhibits 193
Cat No 63 November
Sea Oil £90
Cat No 69 Storm over Beaumaris Oil £70
Cat No 83 Waste Land Oil £150
Cat No 93 Shopping Watercolour £75
Cat No 95 Shopping Watercolour £70
1979 Total Exhibits 216
Cat No 71 Shopping Watercolour & Charcoal £90
Cat No 74 Land Worker Oil £90
Cat No 76 Nant Ffrancon Oil £90
Cat No 78 Beaumaris in Snow Oil £100
Cat No 104 By Tyddyn Window Oil £70
Cat No 173 Snow over Nant Ffrancon Watercolour £50
1980 Total Exhibits 220
Cat No 30 Shopping Oil £140
Cat No 51 Shopping Watercolour £100
Cat No 74 High Society Oil £125
Cat No 95 Oscar Davies New Orleans Oil £200
Cat No 105 Leroy Jones New Orleans Oil £90
Cat No 209 Muskrat Ramble Oil £90
1981 Total Exhibits 200
Cat No 15 Talking Men Oil £95
Cat No 76 Still Life Oil £160
Cat No 155 Lovers Wood cut & Relief £35 Unframed
£25
Cat No 157 Lovers Wood cut £45 Unframed
£30
Cat No 158 Lovers Wood Engraving £45 Unframed
£30
Cat No 166 Lovers Woodcut £45 Unframed
£30
1982 Total Exhibits 228 – Centenary Exhibition
Cat No 24 Winter Sea Oil £230
Cat No 123 Keith & Marcia Pendlebury
at Bagor Jazz Club
Pen & Ink £60
Cat No 125 Lady Charlotte & her Men of
Jazz New Orleans
Pen
& Ink £60
Cat No 175 Hollis Carmouche & his Jazz
Cajuns
Pen & Ink £65
Cat No 182 Head Oil £95
1983 Total Exhibits 231
Cat No 1 Victoriana Oil £140
Cat No 5 Victoriana Oil £120
Cat No 119 Tin Roof Blues Oil £60
Cat No 203 Dr Jazz Oil £90
Cat No 206 Crucifixion Oil £175
1984 Total Exhibits 232
Cat No 36 Lovers Oil £200
Cat No 46 Lovers Oil £200
Cat No 63 Lovers Oil £200
Cat No 105 Lovers Oil £200
Cat No 217 Lovers Oil £200
Cat No 218 Lovers Oil £200
1985
Cat No 44 Gossips Oil £250
Cat No 50 Shopping Oil £200
Cat No 82 Shoppers Oil £200
Cat No 109 Roy Ostle at Work Dry Brush £70
Cat No 166 Saturday Night Conte & Wash £120
Cat No 198 Shoppers Brush &
Ink £170
1986
Cat No 20 Shopping Oil £200
Cat No 82 Shopping Oil £140
Cat No 96 Pensione Wildner, Venice Watercolour £65
Cat No 98 Venice Pen & Watercolour £60
Cat No 105 Venice Pen & Watercolour £65
Cat No 111 Venice Pen & Watercolour £65
1987 Total Exhibits 214
Cat No 123 Carnival
Zaccaria, Venice Watercolour £100
Cat No 206 Carnival Zaccaria, Venice Pen & Wash £65
Cat No 207 Zaccaria, Venice Pen & Wash £70
Cat No 208 Zaccaria, Venice Pen & Wash £70
Cat No 209 Zaccaria, Venice Pen & Wash £70
Cat No 210 Carnival Zaccaria, Venice Pen & Wash £65
1988 Total Exhibits 240
Cat No 71 Frost over
Bangor Oil £250
Cat No 72 Winter Oil £295
Cat No 73 Woman Walking Dog Oil £140
Cat No 117 Head Dry
Brush £150
Cat No 183 Frost over Bangor Watercolour £140
Cat No 209 Woman Walking Dog Oil £140
1989 Total Exhibits 247
Cat No 54 Winter Walk Oil £160
Cat No 56 Winter Walk Oil £160
Cat No 110 Winter Walks Pen & Wash £70
Cat No 111 Winter Walks Pen & Wash £95
Cat No 204 Say it with Flowers Oil £175
Cat No 205 Frightened Clown Oil £245
1990 Total Exhibits 243
Cat No 56 Happy Hour Oil £250
Cat No 60 I See Your Face in Every Flower Oil £350
Cat No 98 Toys Oil £250
Cat No 213 Evening Circus, Beaumaris Oil £300
Cat No 214 Welsh Couple Oil £180
Cat No 225 Floral Rhapsody Oil £480
1991 Total Exhibits 267
Cat No 27 Shopping Oil £190
Cat No 29 Welsh Dragon Oil £450
Cat No 35 Shopping Oil £80
Cat No 55 Shopping Oil £600
Cat No 113 Shopping Oil £600
Cat No 151 Llanllyfni Watercolour £100
1992 Total Exhibits 122
Cat No 26 Still Life Oil £495
Cat No 96 People Oil £490
Cat No 100 People Oil £490
TITLE: LONG JOHN BALDRY - GUITAR - BEAUMARIS FESTIVAL 1993
PRICE / BEST OFFER: £29.99 - Including P&P an insurance. I think this picture is worth at least £29.99, but as usual, if you do not agree with my estimation of value, please make an offer.
Ref: 162032 FMW
SHIPPING
- The shipping costs INCLUDE INSURANCE.
Whilst if the picture is framed, it is likely that the frame is not perfect but
may be acceptable to you.
If present, the frame is NOT sold as part of this
item.
I would suggest that this is an opportunity to have the picture re-mounted and
framed to compliment the room in which you wish to hang it to optimise on its
effect.
Make the most of your art!
THE SHIPPING COST DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FRAME if
the picture is framed.
Please tell me if you would like the fame and I will send an invoice to include
it in the shipping.
That being said, I can't insure for damage to the glass or frame.
Usually, If I buy a framed picture at auction, I would expect to have to pay
around £50 to someone like Mail Boxes Etc for shipping, but that includes
collection, packing and shipping.
Frequently the cost of shipping is nearly as much as the picture itself, but
does include a margin for commercial profit.
I do not aim to make a profit on the shipping costs.
SPECIFICATION:
MEDIUM: MIXED MEDIA ON PAPER
APPROXIMATE SIZE:
Painting: All works appear to be from the same pad and measure
490mm High x 295mm Wide - 16 1/2" High x 11 5/8" Wide
SIGNED K. LEK in red lower right
Annotated with the player's name.
PLEASE NOTE:
I do my best
to find out as much as I can about my paintings and the artists who made them.
I also try to give you a little extra information about the subjects shown in
my paintings.
I believe that the information above is accurate.
Let me apologise for any errors or typos you may find - they are wholly my own.
Please tell me if my memory has failed me as it sometimes does, I have made a stupid mistake, or if something I have written is inaccurate.
Any
images posted with this description form part of the description.
Please ensure you look very carefully at all images and details to make sure
that you REALLY REALLY WANT the picture BEFORE you buy or bid.
I do NOT offer free returns unless I have misdescribed a picture.
I take great care when packing pictures for shipping.
In my experience, returns are seldom packed with as much care and frequently
arrive damaged.
Please
ask if you have any questions or would like to see more detailed images of the
picture.
I will try to help as ever I can.
Thank you
for looking at my picture.
Please look at my other listings, my eBay name is ceffylmor.
Keep safe and well,
Best wishes,
Dai.
E&OE – Errors and Omissions Excepted