Painting of the Week - Howard Somerville
Portrait of Gwen Le Bas (1903-1944)
This stunning Art Deco 1930 Royal Academy exhibited portrait oil painting is by noted Scottish artist Howard Somerville. The sitter is Gwendoline (Gwen) le Bas (1903-1944). In 1930 she married William Gray Horton (1897-19740), a Captain with the Scots Guards and also an Olympian with the 1924 bobsleigh team. Her father, Edward Le Bas, was also an artist. William and Gwen had two children, Robin and Carlotta (Carlotta Edwina Gray Hadley).This superb three quarter length seated portrait of Gwen was painted in 1930 the year she married, aged twenty seven. It was also exhibited at the Royal Academy London that year. Gwen is dressed in a beautiful 1930's silver sleeveless dress with pale pink lace at the neck and hem lines and red scarf across her lap. She is wearing a waist long strand of pearls and silver earrings and her dark hair is short and curled. She is sat on a red cushion, arms straight either side of her, as if about to stand and there are deep red curtains behind her. Her blue eyes are gazing rather enigmatically to her right. Somerville has perfectly captured her beauty and innocence. The details of her face and dress are just superb. This is a lovely Scottish Art Deco portrait oil painting of a beautiful young woman in her prime, newly married and the painting has exhibition provenance.
Signed lower left.
Provenance. Exhibited at the Royal Academy London, 1930 no. 616 entitled Miss Gwen Le Bas.
Click the link below for this painting
https://www.richardtaylorfineart.com/gallery/new/somerville/portrait-of-gwen-le-bas-1903-1944