''Portrait of Kitty'' is a painting by

Lucian Freud Lucian Michael Freud (; 8 December 1922 – 20 July 2011) was a British painter and draughtsman, specialising in figurative art, and is known as one of the foremost 20th-century English portraitists. He was born in Berlin, the son of Jewis ...

of Kitty Garman, his wife and the eldest daughter of the sculptor

Jacob Epstein Sir Jacob Epstein (10 November 1880 – 21 August 1959) was an American-British sculptor who helped pioneer modern sculpture. He was born in the United States, and moved to Europe in 1902, becoming a British subject in 1911. He often produce ...

and

Kathleen Garman Kathleen Esther Garman, Lady Epstein (15 May 1901 – August 1979) was the third of the seven Garman sisters, who were high-profile members of artistic circles in mid-20th century London, renowned for their beauty and scandalous behaviour. She ...

. Completed between 1948 and 1949, this

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

on board measures . Freud (1922–2011) was married to Garman (1926–2011) between 1948 and 1952, and the couple had two daughters together, Annie (born 1948) and Annabel (born 1952).

Model Kitty Garman

"Kitty" Garman was the eldest daughter of the sculptor

and his lover

. Epstein and Katherine Garman were together for over thirty years before they married in 1955, after the death of Epstein's first wife Margaret. He would visit Kitty's mother every evening between 6 and 7 pm, at which time no one else was allowed in the house. Kitty studied at the

Central School of Arts and Crafts The Central School of Art and Design was a public art school, school of fine arts, fine and applied arts in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1896 by the London County Council as the Central ...

under the tuition of

Bernard Meninsky Bernard Meninsky (25 July 1891–12 February 1950) was a painter of figures and landscapes in oils, watercolour and gouache, a draughtsman and a teacher.. Biography Early life and education Meninsky was born in Konotop, Ukraine, where his fathe ...

, but after she was introduced to Lucian Freud her own studies took a back seat. Freud had previously been the lover of Kitty's aunt, Lorna Wishart. Their five-year relationship was turbulent. In 1952 Kitty left Freud and went to live with her parents.

Portraits

Kitty has been the subject of many portraits, including Freud's famous ''Girl with a White Dog'' as well as drawings and sculptures by her father. More recently she was depicted in a

BP Portrait Award The BP Portrait Award is an annual portraiture competition held at the National Portrait Gallery in London, England. It is the successor to the John Player Portrait Award. It is the most important portrait prize in the world, and is reputedly ...

winning triptych by the artist Andrew Tift. Freud was known for his intense scrutiny of his subjects, revealing the intimate relationship between artist and sitter. ''Portrait of Kitty'' was one of several of his early works in which she acted as a model, and these are now generally regarded as some of his masterpieces. Kitty was known for her "wide-eyed feline features which captivated the artist", becoming his frequent model during the early years of their relationship. Most of Freud's sitters were not named, and in Freud's portraits of Garman she was often referred to as "Girl", with the exception being this portrait. Utilising a prominent profile arrangement for the portrait, Freud depicts Garman in cool tones against a bare background of green shutters with areas of peeling paint. Typical of his early portraiture style, Freud paints Garman's hair and the subtle changes in the background with great attention to detail. According to art historian Sheila McGregor, the inclusion of aesthetically imperfect background elements "reveals his intention to depict the world with all its imperfections, bereft of symbolism or flattery." Freud's painting style began to change in the 1950s, when he moved towards the much freer painting technique he is best known for.

The New Art Gallery Walsall

''Portrait of Kitty'' is in the

Garman Ryan Collection The Garman Ryan Collection is a permanent collection of art works housed at The New Art Gallery Walsall and comprises 365 works of art, including prints, sketches, sculptures, drawings and paintings collected by Kathleen Garman (later wife of the ...

the New Art Gallery Walsall The New Art Gallery Walsall is a modern and contemporary art gallery sited in the centre of the West Midlands town of Walsall, England. It was built with £21 million of public funding, including £15.75 million from the UK National Lottery an ...

. This collection was gifted to Walsall in 1973 by Kitty's mother Kathleen Garman, and her friend

Sally Ryan Sally may refer to: People *Sally (name), a list of notable people with the name Military *Sally (military), an attack by the defenders of a town or fortress under siege against a besieging force; see sally port *Sally, the Allied reporting nam ...

. Kathleen Garman had been brought up just outside the town and wanted to leave the works to Walsall to improve the cultural life of her native Black Country. Kathleen Garman purchased several works by her son-in-law which feature in the collection. Originally the collection was on display in a small gallery above the town's library. In the 1990s the idea of a new home for the collection was conceived, and in 2000 The New Art Gallery Walsall, a purpose built gallery designed by the architects

Caruso St John Caruso St John is a London-based architectural firm established in 1990 by Adam Caruso and Peter St John. Practice Caruso St John gained international recognition for its designs of public spaces. The practice came to public attention with Th ...

, opened to the public. Kitty continued to draw and paint throughout her life and took an active interest in the gallery until her death in 2011. An exhibition of her work was held at the gallery in 2004.

References

External links

''Portrait of Kitty'' on the New Art Gallery Walsall website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Portrait of Kitty 1940s paintings Paintings by Lucian Freud Kitty Garman Ryan Collection Portraits of women