Seated Figure

Seated Figure, 1957 is closely related to another painting with the same title made in 1951. The subject in both paintings sits on a table with one leg hanging down and the other leg propped up. The influence of Cubsim has clearly informed the interpretation of the male form which is formalised into geometric shapes to create a bulky, monumental presence.

Having seen the Matisse/Picasso exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum several times over the course of 1945-46, Vaughan attempted to move beyond the mere representation of the human figure as it appears to the eye, towards new, experimental modes of expression. For example, the scale and proportions of the human form have been altered here for expressive purposes; the size of the head is reduced, and the physicality of the torso is increased. The bulk and tension of the upraised leg, pressing down on the table, suggests tangible weight and mass that is transferred downwards through the supporting leg of the table. Despite the essentially static nature of the pose, the rounded shoulders and hinged limbs of the figure suggest the physical mechanics that allow the human body to move and articulate itself.

We are very grateful to Gerard Hastings for preparing this catalogue entry.