Surrealist portrait of a woman by Leslie Hurry (1909-1978)

£4,800.00

Portrait of Edith by British painter, Leslie Hurry (1909-1978)

This confident and assured painting is by an oft overlooked but nonetheless important, British surrealist. A beguiling and powerful portrait of a strong and confident woman. Transcribed 'Early Edith' on the back of the canvas, this portrait is likely the Leslie Hurrys mother or his sister, both Ediths.

Executed in oil onto canvas and circa 1930s. Age related wear, recently re-housed in a rosewood trim. Please contact for further condition report.

91cm x 91cm

Stage designer and painter, born in London, where he died. In 1925 joined St John’s Wood Art School, where he remained two years, then won five-year scholarship to Royal Academy Schools. His early professional work involved murals in his father’s house and decorative schemes for a firm of brewers in their public bars. Then painted landscapes in Britain and Ireland which led to a first one-man show at the Wertheim Gallery in 1937. Subsequently Hurry worked in France and produced two books of automatic drawings, The Journey and Book of the Seven Eagles, which had his own text. Redfern Gallery exhibitions led to Hurry’s work being seen by Robert Helpmann, the ballet dancer, which led to their collaboration on a production of Hamlet. Hurry became closely associated with Sadler’s Wells and the theatre, while showing at galleries in London and abroad.

Victoria & Albert Museum holds his work, which has a strong Neo-Romantic flavour. Lived in Hundon, Suffolk. In 1996 Marina Henderson held a retrospective of Hurry’s stage designs. His Visions of War and Peace were shown at Gainsborough’s House, Sudbury, 2002.

LAWRENCE PRENTICE
Art & Antiques

Surrealist portrait of a woman by Leslie Hurry (1909-1978)

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