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Lot Essay
Nash executed a number of portraits on paper. The present work, however, is his only surviving portrait in oils. Nash did paint another, depicting his wife, Margaret (Causey, no. 1366) but this was subsequently destroyed.
The sitter of the present work, Alice Daglish, was married to Nash's pupil in wood-engraving, Eric Daglish, and both were good friends of the artist. The portrait was painted in 1921 but it remained with Nash until 1943. 'She [Alice Daglish] would drop in to find him among his plants or in his studio, where her portrait hung that had been painted nearly twenty years before in the peace of Dymchurch. 'Paul said he wanted me to have it', she has written, 'if we could find someone with a car ... but we didn't seem to find anyone' (see A. Bertram op. cit., p. 227).
It was only after the portrait had been exhibited in Leeds in 1943 and Nash arranged for it to go directly to Alice that she finally received it.
The sitter of the present work, Alice Daglish, was married to Nash's pupil in wood-engraving, Eric Daglish, and both were good friends of the artist. The portrait was painted in 1921 but it remained with Nash until 1943. 'She [Alice Daglish] would drop in to find him among his plants or in his studio, where her portrait hung that had been painted nearly twenty years before in the peace of Dymchurch. 'Paul said he wanted me to have it', she has written, 'if we could find someone with a car ... but we didn't seem to find anyone' (see A. Bertram op. cit., p. 227).
It was only after the portrait had been exhibited in Leeds in 1943 and Nash arranged for it to go directly to Alice that she finally received it.