Sir William Orpen 1920-1927 : Official Papers; Correspondence; Manuscript 1920-1928.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Orpen, William, author.

Ffoulkes, Charles, author.

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

1920

Summary:

Description: The early part of the file primarily concerns works commissioned in relation to the Versailles Peace Conference. Three works had been commissioned but the third had still not been produced, although on 13 November 1921 Orpen wrote that it should be ready in time for the next Royal Academy exhibition. On 19 December 1922 he wrote that it was finished, but as a different work, because the original scheme, for a large group portrait of conference participants, was a "failure". Because of this, and because of an ongoing dispute over payment for the work, Orpen stated that he did not expect the Museum to buy it. Charles Ffoulkes and Sir Martin Conway went to see the work, which Ffoulkes described as "a remarkable specimen of his work [and] the only symbolic picture in our collection". Interestingly, Ffoulkes' letter to Orpen declining the work describes the rest of the Trustees as "capable and distinguished civil servants, [but] there are not many of them who have what I may call very fine artistic perceptions". He suggested Orpen could make the picture acceptable with some changes, but Orpen vehemently rejected these. In his official letter declining the work, Conway adds his own praise: "it will undoubtedly take a high place among the paintings of our time in the opinion of future generations, and will assuredly find a position of honour in some public collection of importance before many years have passed". (In fact, Orpen donated the picture to the Imperial War Museum in 1928.) The file also covers loan and copying requests relating to Orpen's works. He particularly used Alfred Hayward to help make copies of his works. There is also correspondence relating to photographs, in particular a series of negatives by Paul Laib; a League of Nations Union film called 'Star of Hope', which was to feature 'The Signing of Peace'; and the transfer of copyright to the Museum in its Orpen works.

Notes:

Description based on online resource (viewed on November 21, 2018).

AMDigital Reference: ART/WA1/092.