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Lot Essay
This chair, previously painted white was used by Angus McBean for his 1948 portrait of Sir Ralph Richardson seated on the stage of a toy theatre. An account of the making of the portrait was provided by Oswell Blakeston in the June 1950 Photoguide magazine.
'A photographic enlargement (almost eight feet high) of a toy theatre proscenium arch stood on the floor. Behind the arch hung another enlargement of one of the penny-plain backdrops. There was a real chair on the toy theatre stage. And then Sir Ralph Richardson arrived. He strolled in with the assurance of a man used to studios and cameras and lights. he took off his overcoat, looked at himself inthe mirror......and stepped on to the miniature stage. A few pleasant words, the actor concentrating as if he was snipping out his toy rivals.......and the whole business of taking the photograph was over in five minutes.'
The photograph is in the National Portrait Gallery collection (NPG P66).
The chair also appeared in the 1948 portrait of the Australian dancer, actor and choreographer Sir Robert Helpmann.
'A photographic enlargement (almost eight feet high) of a toy theatre proscenium arch stood on the floor. Behind the arch hung another enlargement of one of the penny-plain backdrops. There was a real chair on the toy theatre stage. And then Sir Ralph Richardson arrived. He strolled in with the assurance of a man used to studios and cameras and lights. he took off his overcoat, looked at himself inthe mirror......and stepped on to the miniature stage. A few pleasant words, the actor concentrating as if he was snipping out his toy rivals.......and the whole business of taking the photograph was over in five minutes.'
The photograph is in the National Portrait Gallery collection (NPG P66).
The chair also appeared in the 1948 portrait of the Australian dancer, actor and choreographer Sir Robert Helpmann.