.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
In January 1935 Philip Astley commissioned a portrait of his wife, the actress Madeleine Carroll. He hoped to buy a blank canvas offered by de László at a charity auction in aid of the King George’s Pension Fund but was unsuccessful (DLA052-0030, op. cit.). He was introduced to the artist by their mutual friends, the Earl and Countess of Cromer, and de László agreed to paint the portrait of Carroll for £500 (ibid.). This was significantly less than his usual honorarium in the region of 900 guineas, which he charged for the three-quarter length portrait of Mrs Battine in 1935.
De László found a sympathetic sitter in the actress, remarking in his diary: 'I must get away from my usual portraits & she lents [sic, ie: lends] to it for movement & grace. To do something out of the ordinary she is a great help – intelligent & very sympathetic – I so much look forward to painting her' (1935 Diary, 16 April, op cit.).
The artist made seven preparatory drawings and oil studies of the sitter in a deep red velvet gown before deciding on the pose. He wrote that he thought of Titian as he painted the velvet and felt he came close to achieving similar success with the fabric as the great Renaissance artist (ibid., 7 June). After six sittings he noted in his diary on 7 May that he began work on the present portrait: 'Mrs Astley Mad[e]leine came & began an entirely new portrait of her – in spite of the first is much liked & had already 6 sittings. Had a splendid morning advanced the portrait practically to the same stage then [sic] the first as I was fully satisfied with the attitude etc. It will have more character – the movement more graceful – the lines better – lights & shadows warmer – richer & better divided – looking forward to continue tomorrow. It is a glorious feeling when I am satisfied with the conception the picture grows rapidly under my brush' (ibid., 7 May).
Captain Astley was delighted with the finished work: 'When I first wrote to you asking you if you would consent to paint a sketch of my wife, I never realized how generous you were going to be. As I told you, it has always been my ambition to have her painted by yourself, and I can only assure you that the portrait has exceeded my highest expectations! Apart from the likeness, and the lovely expression you have got into her face, the whole composition of the picture is an absolute masterpiece. As you can imagine, we are simply longing to see it hung in our own home, so that we can admire it continually! Madeleine always told me what a joy it was to sit for you, and she considers it a great privilege to have been numbered amongst your sitters' (DLA052-0026, op cit. ). It was photographed in colour and featured on the cover of Woman’s Journal in 1936.
Madeleine Carroll was born on 26 February 1906 in West Bromwich, the eldest daughter of Professor John Carroll, an Irish professor of languages and his wife Hélène Tuaillon of France. She was privately educated and at fifteen went to Birmingham University where she was awarded a French B.A. (Hons.). She acted with Birmingham University Dramatic Society before making her appearance at the Winter Gardens Theatre in February 1927 in The Lash. Her father encouraged her to follow in his footsteps and become a teacher; however, she pursued success on the stage and screen.
Her early parts included I Was a Spy, and School for Scandal before she was cast by Alfred Hitchcock as the original ‘Blonde’ in The 39 Steps (1935) and Secret Agent (1936). Subsequently she was one of the first British actresses to be offered a major contract in Hollywood, becoming the highest paid actress in the world and starred with Gary Cooper in The General Died at Dawn, and with Ronald Colman in The Prisoner of Zenda.
Carroll became a naturalised American citizen in 1943 and after the death of her only sister Marguerite in the London Blitz she volunteered for the American Red Cross serving in Italy. In January 1946, she was awarded the Légion d’Honneur by the French Government and the Medal of Freedom in America. The sitter was also involved with UNESCO helping children whose lives had been shattered by war. Carroll returned to the United States in the fall of 1947 and resumed her career appearing on Broadway in Goodbye my Fancy. Her last film The Fan (1949) was directed by Otto Preminger and she subsequently declined all offers in order to devote herself to her husband, Andrew Heiskell and their daughter Anne-Madeleine (born in 1951). Although her acting career was relatively short, she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her outstanding contribution to the cinema industry.
She was married four times: to Captain Philip Astley (1931-1939), Stirling Hayden (1942- 1946), Henri Lavorel (1946-1949), and Andrew Heiskell (1950-1965). During her retirement she lived in Paris with her mother before moving to Spain where she spent the rest of her life. She died of pancreatic cancer in Marbella on 2 October 1987.
We are grateful to Katherine Field for writing the catalogue entry for this portrait, which will be included in the Philip de László catalogue raisonné, currently presented in progress online: www.delaszlocatalogueraisonne.com
De László found a sympathetic sitter in the actress, remarking in his diary: 'I must get away from my usual portraits & she lents [sic, ie: lends] to it for movement & grace. To do something out of the ordinary she is a great help – intelligent & very sympathetic – I so much look forward to painting her' (1935 Diary, 16 April, op cit.).
The artist made seven preparatory drawings and oil studies of the sitter in a deep red velvet gown before deciding on the pose. He wrote that he thought of Titian as he painted the velvet and felt he came close to achieving similar success with the fabric as the great Renaissance artist (ibid., 7 June). After six sittings he noted in his diary on 7 May that he began work on the present portrait: 'Mrs Astley Mad[e]leine came & began an entirely new portrait of her – in spite of the first is much liked & had already 6 sittings. Had a splendid morning advanced the portrait practically to the same stage then [sic] the first as I was fully satisfied with the attitude etc. It will have more character – the movement more graceful – the lines better – lights & shadows warmer – richer & better divided – looking forward to continue tomorrow. It is a glorious feeling when I am satisfied with the conception the picture grows rapidly under my brush' (ibid., 7 May).
Captain Astley was delighted with the finished work: 'When I first wrote to you asking you if you would consent to paint a sketch of my wife, I never realized how generous you were going to be. As I told you, it has always been my ambition to have her painted by yourself, and I can only assure you that the portrait has exceeded my highest expectations! Apart from the likeness, and the lovely expression you have got into her face, the whole composition of the picture is an absolute masterpiece. As you can imagine, we are simply longing to see it hung in our own home, so that we can admire it continually! Madeleine always told me what a joy it was to sit for you, and she considers it a great privilege to have been numbered amongst your sitters' (DLA052-0026, op cit. ). It was photographed in colour and featured on the cover of Woman’s Journal in 1936.
Madeleine Carroll was born on 26 February 1906 in West Bromwich, the eldest daughter of Professor John Carroll, an Irish professor of languages and his wife Hélène Tuaillon of France. She was privately educated and at fifteen went to Birmingham University where she was awarded a French B.A. (Hons.). She acted with Birmingham University Dramatic Society before making her appearance at the Winter Gardens Theatre in February 1927 in The Lash. Her father encouraged her to follow in his footsteps and become a teacher; however, she pursued success on the stage and screen.
Her early parts included I Was a Spy, and School for Scandal before she was cast by Alfred Hitchcock as the original ‘Blonde’ in The 39 Steps (1935) and Secret Agent (1936). Subsequently she was one of the first British actresses to be offered a major contract in Hollywood, becoming the highest paid actress in the world and starred with Gary Cooper in The General Died at Dawn, and with Ronald Colman in The Prisoner of Zenda.
Carroll became a naturalised American citizen in 1943 and after the death of her only sister Marguerite in the London Blitz she volunteered for the American Red Cross serving in Italy. In January 1946, she was awarded the Légion d’Honneur by the French Government and the Medal of Freedom in America. The sitter was also involved with UNESCO helping children whose lives had been shattered by war. Carroll returned to the United States in the fall of 1947 and resumed her career appearing on Broadway in Goodbye my Fancy. Her last film The Fan (1949) was directed by Otto Preminger and she subsequently declined all offers in order to devote herself to her husband, Andrew Heiskell and their daughter Anne-Madeleine (born in 1951). Although her acting career was relatively short, she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her outstanding contribution to the cinema industry.
She was married four times: to Captain Philip Astley (1931-1939), Stirling Hayden (1942- 1946), Henri Lavorel (1946-1949), and Andrew Heiskell (1950-1965). During her retirement she lived in Paris with her mother before moving to Spain where she spent the rest of her life. She died of pancreatic cancer in Marbella on 2 October 1987.
We are grateful to Katherine Field for writing the catalogue entry for this portrait, which will be included in the Philip de László catalogue raisonné, currently presented in progress online: www.delaszlocatalogueraisonne.com