Duncan Grant

London Artist's Association, London, where acquired by Sir Hugh Walpole

Sale, Christie's London, 21 May 1954, lot 33, where acquired by the previous owner

Their sale, Christie's London, 12 November 2009, lot 26, where acquired by the present owner

Frances Spalding, Duncan Grant, A Biography, London, 1997, p. 309

London, London Artist's Association, Cooling Galleries, Recent Paintings by Duncan Grant, June - July 1931, no. 14

Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant were two of the most important figures within the Bloomsbury group, the bohemian intellectual cluster of creatives characters who made an indelible mark on the trajectory of the arts in Britain through the twentieth century. The relationship, both personal and creatively, between these two in particular is one of the most significant in Modern British art history. They first met in 1905 and over the next fifty years formed a remarkable artistic partnership, running the Omega Workshops and forming the hub around which many of the early twentieth century’s greatest minds gravitated.

The present work was painted in 1930 and forms one of the countless images Grant produced of Bell between 1911 and 1961. Here, the informality and theatre of the image provides a charming insight in to their deep intimacy. As these pictures of Bell are so numerous it is important to remember that these stylised images were always of her modelling for him, and not having her portrait painted. Although the manner in which the work is painted is strikingly modern the curious inclusion of more traditional dress is a fascinating juxtaposition. The mountains in the background appear to be those of the Alpes Maritimes near Cassis and it is therefore probable that Bell was dressing up in local traditional dress. The groups fascination with pattern and material making this all the more plausible. The influence which the seminal 1910 Post-Impressionist show at the Grafton Galleries, organised by their close friend Roger Fry, left a lasting influence, the evidence of which is made clear here. This highly ornamented depiction being a striking example of this synthesis of these inspirations. 

The personal nature of the relationship between the two was unusual even by the open minded and progressive standards of the group. Grant’s early intimate relationships were with men, and he was embroiled in entanglements with Lytton Strachey (his cousin), John Maynard Keynes and David Garnett. However by 1916 Grant and Bell had formed a relationship and by 1918 Bell has fallen pregnant with his child, Angelica Bell, who was born in Christmas of that year. Angelica ultimately went on to marry David Garnett and have four children with him. Although the intimate nature of Grant and Bell’s relationship seems to have abated at around this time, they went on to live together at Charleston for the next forty years, sustaining a hugely successful artistic output.

The cultural significance of the group to this day cannot be overstated, with Dior, Fendi and Burberry all recently incorporating typically Bloomsbury patterns and designs. Charleston House in Sussex celebrates its 50^th anniversary as a museum this year, and in 2023 a replica formed the backdrop to the Dior Men’s Summer fashion promotion.