Oil paint on canvas
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/william-roberts-1855" aria-label="More by William Roberts" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">William Roberts</a>
Char
Presented by Lord Duveen 1926
actions: expressive
actions: postures and motions
adults
animals: mammals
architecture
bending forward
bucket
cat
cleaning
domestic
features
group
groups
man
objects
people
stair / step
talking
vessels and containers
woman
work and occupations
<p>Before the First World War William Roberts was a Vorticist, producing almost abstract paintings that evoked the energy of the modern city. After serving in the war he painted scenes of everyday life. Typically, his figures are reduced to simple forms, so that their bodies and limbs are tubular and their faces almost caricatures.Having painted scenes of leisure and pleasure such as restaurants and cinemas, Roberts took an increasingly wry and humorous look at human behaviour. This image of women gossiping while another cleans her front step and men look on would have been a typical street scene.</p><p><em>Gallery label, July 2007</em></p>
painting oil paint canvas
17 May 2004 – 9 December 2007
2007-12-09
17 May 2004 – 9 December 2007
2007-12-09
2004-05-17
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2004-05-17
Modern Figures
Collection based display
27 April 2025 – 10 August 2025
2025-08-10
27 April 2025 – 10 August 2025
2025-08-10
2025-04-27
Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz, Museum Gunzenhauser (Chemnitz, Germany)
2025-04-27
European Realities
Loan-out
The Char
support: 432 × 330 mm
Presented by Lord Duveen 1926
<p>Before the First World War William Roberts was a Vorticist, producing almost abstract paintings that evoked the energy of the modern city. After serving in the war he painted scenes of everyday life. Typically, his figures are reduced to simple forms, so that their bodies and limbs are tubular and their faces almost caricatures.Having painted scenes of leisure and pleasure such as restaurants and cinemas, Roberts took an increasingly wry and humorous look at human behaviour. This image of women gossiping while another cleans her front step and men look on would have been a typical street scene.</p>

Display caption
2007-07-10T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><b>N04148</b> THE CHAR <i>c.</i> 1923–4</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Inscr. ‘Roberts.’ t.r.
<br/>Canvas, 17×13 (43×33).
<br/>Presented by Lord Duveen 1926.
<br/><i>Coll:</i> Purchased from the artist by Sir Joseph (later Lord) Duveen 1924.
<br/><i>Repr:</i> William Roberts, <i>Paintings</i> 1917–1958, 1960, p.31, as 1923.</p>
<p>The artist wrote (1 August 1951) that this picture was painted, to the best of his knowledge, in 1924. A squared-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/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawing</span></a> for it is reproduced in <i>Drawing and Design</i>, II, 1927, p.129.</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, II
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-10-05T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
actions: expressive actions: postures and motions adults animals: mammals architecture bending forward bucket cat cleaning domestic features group groups man objects people stair / step talking vessels and containers woman work and occupations