Wadsworth studied at the Slade School of Fine Art from 1908 to 1912.

His contemporaries at the Slade included the artists Wyndham Lewis, Stanley Spencer, Dora Carrington and David Bomberg, all of whom are represented by objects in the UCL Art Collections. This painting documents his work in portraiture, an important part of Slade training. It depicts Cuthbert Kelly, a civil servant who often held social musical evenings. Wadsworth met his wife at one of these occasions. The painting is an excellent example of Wadsworth's work while at the Slade before he became influenced by European modernism and his work took on a more Surrealist element.

Provenance

The artist's estate.


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