Augustus John, O.M., R.A. (1878-1961)

In his autobiography Chiaroscuro Augustus John vividly describes his encounters with gypsy tribes, beginning in 1901 in North Wales and Liverpool and in the following years in Normandy (1906 and 1908), Marseilles and Milan (1910) and in Granada and Barcelona (1922). While in southern Spain he travelled by donkey through the Sierra Nevada and arriving at Valor from Yegen moved into a posada having discovered 'some good models’ to paint. These were local girls, but ‘as everywhere in Spain there were gypsies at Valor and some of these posed for me’ (A. John, Chiaroscuro, London, 1952, p. 184). This portrait may be one of those gypsies since, as well as his dark, Moorish looks, it belongs stylistically to the 1920s.

We are very grateful to Rebecca John for preparing this catalogue entry.