Oil paint on wood
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Art Fund
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>
Robin
Presented by Sir Robert Witt through the Art Fund 1918
boy
children
individuals: male
John, Robin
named individuals
people
portraits
<p>Robin was the third son of Augustus John and his wife Ida; he was eight when this portrait was painted. John often used his family as models, particularly for his less conventional work. In this intimate study, the boy’s long tousled hair suggests both freedom and ambiguity of gender. The close-up perspective also disturbs the boundaries of distance usually maintained in portraiture.</p><p>Robin’s consciousness of being scrutinised by his father could be interpreted as betraying resentment or unease. The two had a difficult relationship. Robin’s silences often infuriated John, who declared his son ‘hardly utters a word and radiates hostility’.</p><p><em>Gallery label, August 2004</em></p>
painting oil paint wood
29 September 2004 – 15 May 2005
2005-05-15
29 September 2004 – 9 January 2005
2005-01-09
2004-09-29
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
12 February 2005 – 15 May 2005
2005-05-15
2005-02-12
Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales (Cardiff, UK)
2004-09-29
Gwen John and Augustus John
Exhibition
24 November 2009 – 8 March 2010
2010-03-08
24 November 2009 – 8 March 2010
2010-03-08
2009-11-24
Musée de l’Orangerie (Paris, France)
2009-11-24
Les Enfants modèles
Loan-out
11 February 2016 – 11 February 2017
2017-02-11
11 February 2016 – 11 February 2017
2017-02-11
2016-02-11
New Art Gallery Walsall (Walsall, UK)
http://www.artatwalsall.org.uk/
2016-02-11
Interventions into The Garman Ryan Collection
Loan-out
Robin
support: 451 × 305 mm
frame: 675 × 520 × 110 mm
Presented by Sir Robert Witt through the <a href="/search?gid=999999968" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Art Fund</a> 1918
<div class="pbodytext">
<span class="text0">Robin was the third son of Augustus John and his wife      Ida; he was eight when 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> was painted. John often used his      family as models, particularly for his less conventional work. In this      intimate study, the boy’s long tousled hair suggests both freedom and      ambiguity of gender. The close-up <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/perspective" title="Glossary definition for 'Perspective'"><span>perspective</span></a> also disturbs the </span><span class="text14">boundaries of distance usually maintained</span><span class="text0"> in portraiture.  </span>
</div>
<div class="para9">
<span class="text0">
<br/> </span>
</div>
<div class="pbodytext">
<span class="text14">Robin’s consciousness of being scrutinised</span><span class="text0"> by his father could be interpreted as betraying resentment      or unease. The two </span><span class="text15">had a difficult      relationship. Robin’s silences</span><span class="text0"> </span><span class="text15">often infuriated John, who declared his son</span><span class="text0"> </span><span class="text15">‘hardly utters a word and      radiates </span><span class="text16">hostility’</span><span class="text15">. </span>
</div>

Display caption
2004-08-18T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>N03523</b> ROBIN <i>c.</i> 1912
<br/> 
<br/>Not inscribed.
<br/>Oil on wood, 17 3/4×12 (45×30·5).
<br/>Presented by Sir Robert Witt through the National Art-Collections Fund 1918.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> Alpine Club Gallery, November 1917–February 1918 (19); Temple Newsam, Leeds, July–August 1946 (32).
<br/><i>Lit:</i> <i>Connoisseur</i>, L, 1918, pp.167–8.
<br/><i>Repr:</i> Bertram, 1923, pl.12; Rothenstein, 1944, pl.31; John Rothenstein, <i>The Tate Gallery</i>, 1958, p.96 (in colour).</p>
<p>John found his children good subjects and there are many <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>paintings</span></a> and <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawings</span></a> of the members of the artist's large family. Robin was the third son of John's first marriage, and another painting of this child at the same age belongs to the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art, Dublin. A drawings dated 1912, in almost the same pose and evidently at about the same age, was exhibited at Agnew's in October 1957.</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
2004-10-05T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
boy children individuals: male John, Robin named individuals people portraits