Oil paint on canvas
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/augustus-john-om-1362" aria-label="More by Augustus John OM" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Augustus John OM</a>
Viscount dAbernon
Presented by Viscountess D'Abernon 1950
actions: postures and motions
adults
cloak
clothing and personal items
court dress
d’Abernon, Edgar Vincent, Viscount
diplomat
dress: ceremonial/royal
furnishings
hat
individuals: male
man
named individuals
objects
peers’ robes
people
portraits
public service
society
standing
sword
table
weapons
work and occupations
<p>Lord d'Abernon was in his seventies when he commissioned this portrait, and had just retired as British Ambassador in Berlin. He wears his Ambassador's uniform, with the regalia of the Order of the Bath, and of St Michael and St George.The grandeur of the pose and the huge scale are both a revival of British eighteenth century portraiture. John blended with this tradition his appreciation of El Greco, and while making the painting he visited Madrid to see El Greco's works in the Prado. Hence the elongation of the figure, and hence also the crimson and black tonality. John subsequently made a series of paintings in a style influenced by El Greco, both portraits and imaginary groups of figures.</p><p><em>Gallery label, September 2004</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
Viscount d’Abernon
support: 2290 × 1550 mm
Presented by Viscountess D'Abernon 1950
<p>Lord d'Abernon was in his seventies when he commissioned this <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/portrait" title="Glossary definition for 'Portrait'"><span>portrait</span></a>, and had just retired as British Ambassador in Berlin. He wears his Ambassador's uniform, with the regalia of the Order of the Bath, and of St Michael and St George.<br/>The grandeur of the pose and the huge scale are both a revival of British eighteenth century portraiture. John blended with this tradition his appreciation of El Greco, and while making the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/painting" title="Glossary definition for 'Painting'"><span>painting</span></a> he visited Madrid to see El Greco's works in the Prado. Hence the elongation of the figure, and hence also the crimson and black tonality. John subsequently made a series of paintings in a style influenced by El Greco, both portraits and imaginary groups of figures.</p>
Display caption
2004-09-03T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>N05936</b> VISCOUNT D'ABERNON 1927–31
<br/> 
<br/>Inscr. ‘John 1932’ b.r.
<br/>Canvas, 90×60 3/4 (229×155).
<br/>Presented by Viscountess D'Abernon 1950.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> R.A., 1931 (318); <i>International Exhibition</i>, Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, 1933 (143), and Cleveland, Toledo, 1934; Temple Newsam, Leeds, July–August 1946 (53).
<br/><i>Lit:</i> John, 1952, pp.142–4.
<br/><i>Repr:</i> <i>Royal Academy Illustrated</i>, 1931, p.91; <i>Apollo</i>, XIII, 1931, facing p.386 (in colour); Rothenstein, 1944, pl.38.</p>
<p>Lord D'Abernon (1857–1941) was British Ambassador in Berlin from 1920 until 1926. In the latter year John went to Berlin at the invitation of Lord D'Abernon, and it was in the early part of 1927 that the artist started this <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/portrait" title="Glossary definition for 'Portrait'"><span>portrait</span></a> which, like the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/painting" title="Glossary definition for 'Painting'"><span>painting</span></a> of Mme Suggia, took some time to complete. John was concerned about the background and altered certain parts of the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/composition" title="Glossary definition for 'Composition'"><span>composition</span></a>; the plumed hat, for instance, was moved away from its original position which was near Lord D'Abernon's right wrist. John painted only two ceremonial portraits, this and the painting of ‘His Honour H. Chaloner Dowdall, K.C. as Lord Mayor of Liverpool’, now in the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. The picture used to hang in Lord D'Abernon's home at 20 St James's Place; an attempt was made by the Chantrey Bequest to buy it when it was exhibited at the R.A. in 1931, but Lord D'Abernon would not part with it.</p>
<p>Although first exhibited in 1931 the picture was dated 1932 when John signed the portrait at the request of Lord D'Abernon.</p>
<p>A three-quarter-length portrait of Lord D'Abernon seated in ordinary clothes was exhibited at the R.A. 1960 (168). It was sold among the works from the painter's studio at Christie's, 21 June 1963 (151), as painted <i>c.</i> 1926, probably in Berlin.</p>
<p><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, <i>The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture</i>, London 1964, I
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-08T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
actions: postures and motions adults cloak clothing and personal items court dress d’Abernon, Edgar Vincent, Viscount diplomat dress: ceremonial/royal furnishings hat individuals: male man named individuals objects peers’ robes people portraits public service society standing sword table weapons work and occupations