About this Item
405x307mm. Single sheet of Reeves drawing and cartridge paper. Two sided. Pin mark to the top edge and subsequent at the edges. Initialled at the foot in black ink ?BF? in his hand. Three works in total. This raw studio sheet consists of two contrasting charcoal and wash portraits of a female figure to one side, and a meticulously detailed pen and ink to the verso, depicting a young man.
The first depicts a standing female nude in heavy charcoal, enhanced with a wash. The charcoal is layered with pressure, particularly at the calf, to emphasise the shadow. The model is thought to be Freedman?s wife, Claudia ? see the resemblance in her torso and hairstyle. It was common for Freedman to use his wife for life studies, as she was often willing. It demonstrates Freedman?s masterful use of heavy, sculptural mark-making to build volume. The central standing contrapposto figure is rendered with great expression, using built-up layers of charcoal and smudge to define muscle and light, contrasting with the more skeletal lines of the partial study to the upper right.
Accompanying this full-scale work is a partial portrait of a seated lady. It is absent from great detail, but a nice study of posture in pen and pencil (faint wash to his hair).
The final study, to the verso, depicts a muscular young man in a neutral posture. The broad physique and facial structure resemble that of Sam Rabin (1903-1991), who was one of Freedman?s closes friends and a fellow student at the Royal College of Art. Comparing this preliminary form-finding exercise to the finished Portrait of Sam Rabin (c.1925), there are several important similarities. The hair is of a similar texture, the facial expression too. The shading at the top of the thigh, evidently a key detail for Freedman, is present in both ? not to mention the muscular shading of the latissimus dorsi, and the uneven hair of the chest. It is Freedman?s fascination with the geometry of Rabin?s torso. The kneeling figure present in the finished product, that of Gerald Ososki, is not present in this study ? the focus is on the model.
Provenance on request.
Barnett Freedman CBE, RDI (1901?1958) was a titan of mid-century British realism and a master of auto-lithography who rose from a working-class East End background to become a central figure in the RCA?s "Golden Generation? alongside Henry Moore and Eric Ravilious. Renowned for his "muscular" draftsmanship and sculptural treatment of form, he served as a prolific Official War Artist during WWII, famously capturing the technical grit of submarine interiors and the Normandy landings. A champion of "Art for All," Freedman bridged the gap between fine art and commercial design, producing iconic work for London Transport and the BBC while maintaining a rigorous private practice that is now represented in the Tate, V&A, and the British Museum.
Seller Inventory # ABE-1776851187420
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