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Lot Essay
Despite exposure to the fast-emerging Parisian avant-garde during his time at the Académie Julian, Philpot’s early career was based more on academic principals than the desire to develop his own free style of painting. He subsequently developed a strong reputation as a portrait painter, receiving commissions from the Government to paint important figures such as King Fouad of Egypt in 1923. In the early 1930s, Philpot’s work changed dramatically, where his previous subject matter underpinned an exploration of a more modernist painting language. This shift in approach seemed to be aligned with his return to Paris in 1931, where he spent a year experimenting in his studio at 216 Boulevard Raspail.
André Eglevsky is one of Philpot’s last completed paintings before a stroke prematurely took his life in 1937. His modernist style was still developing, yet his late portraits and figure paintings seem to demonstrate a more refined handling of paint. His pre-occupation with draughtsmanship remains fundamental to the late work whilst his sensibility to line became more profound, allowing him to become more playful with the application of paint. His uncanny ability to describe weight and form using thinly applied oil paint and harmonious pale colour, remains as masterful as his more formal, earlier works. His paintings from this period become inherently more personal as his choice of sitter changes from society figures to close friends and lovers. Widely considered to be his most successful period, the close bond between artist and sitter emanates from these canvases, as he masterfully captures their physiognomy.
Born in Russia, André Eglevsky was celebrated as one of the greatest classical dancers of his generation, ‘Eglevsky had a phenomenal physical ability. His slow multiple pirouettes, a dozen or so at a time, attracted great admiration in Massine’s symphonic ballets during the 1930s’ (The New York Times, December 1977). Eglevsky moved to Nice at an early age where he enrolled in ballet classes for health reasons. After showing great promise he was advised to move to Paris, where aged just fourteen, he joined Colonel de Basil’s Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo. In 1936, he joined René Blum’s Ballets Russes who created lead roles in L'Épreuve d’armour and Les Sylphides for Eglevsky. The ballet travelled around Europe, arriving in London in 1937, where Daisy Philpot, the artist’s sister, records accounts of four visits by the dancer to Philpot’s Marlborough Gate House studio, between the 29th September and 6th October. During this time, Philpot executed three life drawings and a small portrait head of Eglevsky, in preparation for the present lot.
We are very grateful to Charles Beddington for his assistance with this catalogue entry. This painting will be included in his catalogue of Philpot’s paintings and sculpture, currently in preparation.
André Eglevsky is one of Philpot’s last completed paintings before a stroke prematurely took his life in 1937. His modernist style was still developing, yet his late portraits and figure paintings seem to demonstrate a more refined handling of paint. His pre-occupation with draughtsmanship remains fundamental to the late work whilst his sensibility to line became more profound, allowing him to become more playful with the application of paint. His uncanny ability to describe weight and form using thinly applied oil paint and harmonious pale colour, remains as masterful as his more formal, earlier works. His paintings from this period become inherently more personal as his choice of sitter changes from society figures to close friends and lovers. Widely considered to be his most successful period, the close bond between artist and sitter emanates from these canvases, as he masterfully captures their physiognomy.
Born in Russia, André Eglevsky was celebrated as one of the greatest classical dancers of his generation, ‘Eglevsky had a phenomenal physical ability. His slow multiple pirouettes, a dozen or so at a time, attracted great admiration in Massine’s symphonic ballets during the 1930s’ (The New York Times, December 1977). Eglevsky moved to Nice at an early age where he enrolled in ballet classes for health reasons. After showing great promise he was advised to move to Paris, where aged just fourteen, he joined Colonel de Basil’s Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo. In 1936, he joined René Blum’s Ballets Russes who created lead roles in L'Épreuve d’armour and Les Sylphides for Eglevsky. The ballet travelled around Europe, arriving in London in 1937, where Daisy Philpot, the artist’s sister, records accounts of four visits by the dancer to Philpot’s Marlborough Gate House studio, between the 29th September and 6th October. During this time, Philpot executed three life drawings and a small portrait head of Eglevsky, in preparation for the present lot.
We are very grateful to Charles Beddington for his assistance with this catalogue entry. This painting will be included in his catalogue of Philpot’s paintings and sculpture, currently in preparation.