Maud Nelke, Mrs Gilbert Russell (1891-1982)
Ambrose McEvoy ARA (Wiltshire 1878 - London 1927)
Category
Art / Drawings and watercolours
Date
1918
Materials
Watercolour on paper
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Mottisfont, Hampshire
NT 1954682
Summary
Watercolour on paper, Maud Russell, Mrs Gilbert Russell (1891-1982) by Ambrose McEvoy ARA (1878-1927), 1918. A half-length portait of a young woman seated looking left with her right hand placed on her left shoulder, her left hand placed on her left hip. Framed.
Full description
This is one of two watercolours which the British artist Ambrose McEvoy (1878-1927) painted of Maud Russell (1891-1982). As both portraits were displayed at the International Society’s Exhibition at the Grosvenor Gallery in May 1918, she probably sat for him early that year. This painting captures Maud shortly after her marriage to Gilbert Russell (1875-1942) which had taken place in London in March 1917, but before the birth of their eldest son Martin in June 1918. After their marriage, Gilbert worked at the Ministry of Defence, having served on the frontline in France during the early years of the First World War. Maud’s parents, Paul and Maria Nelke had commissioned earlier portraits of her by John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) in 1911 (The Clark Art Institute, USA, 2007.8.98) and William Nicholson (1872-1949) in 1914 (Ferens Art Gallery, Hull, KINCM:2005:5229). These two watercolours seem to be the first portraits that Maud commissioned herself – possibly encouraged by her close friend Lady Diana Cooper (née Manners) who was painted several times by McEvoy. Maud had met Cooper through attending parties organised by the ‘Coterie’, a group of wealthy aristocratic young people who organised raucous parties in pre-war London. As well as Cooper, McEvoy painted other female members of the group, including Nancy Cunard. McEvoy was a bold choice of artist. His portraits were full of energy and often used artificial lights to create dramatic shadows on his subject. This portrait captures a youthful looking Maud facing away from the viewer with her right hand placed on her left shoulder. The commissioning of portraiture soon widened to encompass other kinds of art collecting. In 1924, she joined the Contemporary Arts Society, and began to seriously collect modern French art, becoming a notable British collector, with several pieces from her collection displayed at Mottisfont Abbey after she and Gilbert purchased the estate in 1934. She also continued to commission further artistic depictions of herself, with Frank Dobson (1886-1963) sculpting a portrait bust of her in 1927, before also being drawn by Henri Matisse (1869-1954) in 1937.
Provenance
Maud Russell; by descent to Emily Russell, by whom gifted to the National Trust, 2021.
Makers and roles
Ambrose McEvoy ARA (Wiltshire 1878 - London 1927), artist
References
Russell 2017: Emily Russell (ed.), A Constant Heart; The War Diaries of Maud Russell 1938-1945, Wimborne Minster, 2017 Douglas and Hendra 20019: Eric Akers Douglas and Lawrence Hendra, Divine People: The Art and Life of Ambrose McEvoy (1877-1927) (London: Paul Holberton Publishing, 2019) Gleadowe 1930: M.Y.Gleadowe, ‘Ambrose McEvoy A.R.A (1878-1927)’, The Old Watercolour Society’s Club, Volume 7 (1929-1930), pp.55-65. Johnson 1919: Claude Johnson (ed.), The Works of Ambrose McEvoy from 1900 to May 1919 (London: Claude Johnson, 1919) “Wigs”, The Art of Ambrose McEvoy (London: Colour Magazine, 1923)