Emery Reves

The sitter of the present portrait, Emery Reves, was a Hungarian-born literary agent, writer and statesman, who aided the publication of Winston Churchill’s writings in major newspapers across Europe. To Reves, Sutherland was a neighbour, a close friend and keen admirer of his art. The sitter and his wife held an extensive collection of Impressionist and modern works, which included amongst others works by Rodin, Cézanne, van Gogh, Monet and Degas. Reves commissioned his portrait from the artist in 1965, for which the present work is the original oil sketch for the later portrait that was exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery. The work provides a valuable insight into Sutherland’s artistic scrutiny of facial expression and deft capabilities in capturing his sitter’s pensive disposition.