Bringing to light the art and life of Derwent Lees (1884–1931), an Australian painter who studied and taught at the Slade School of Art in the decade preceding and including the First World War, this comprehensive monograph includes a complete catalogue of the artist’s known works. Embedded within Londons art world, Lees counted Augustus John, J.D. Innes, Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant and Ambrose McEvoy as his close friends. He exhibited works in prominent London galleries and at the 1913 New York Armory show from his travels in England, Wales, France and Poland. Tragically, his promising career was cut short when he was confined to mental asylums from 1919. This publication provides a definitive account of Leess life and impressive body of work and will stand as a primary reference resource on the artist for many years to come.
Lynn Davies, an academic research librarian and digital curator spent much of her career at the University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia. She has a particular interest in late-19th-century Australian social history, with an emphasis on little-known Tasmanians, and has written biographical articles, established a social history museum, and created art and optics digital archives. She has lived in Hobart, her and Derwent Lees’s birthplace, and Collioure, France, for the last 20 years.
Preface; 1. A Colonial Boy: 1884–1905; 2. The Young Artist: 1905–1906: 3. Mentors and Masters: 1907–1908; 4. A New Beginning: 1908–1910; 5. Confidence in the Southern Light: 1910; 6. Of Mountains and Lakes: 1911; 7. Mastering Colour: 1912; 8. Reaching his Peak: 1913; 9. Marriage and South Again: 1913–1914; 10. Joy and Pain: 1914–1915; 11. The Decline: 1916-1918: 12. The Enclosed World: 1918-1928: 13. End and Aftermath: 1928-1967; Appendix; Landscape and Geolocation; References and Notes; Catalogue Raisonné; Acknowledgements; Image Credits; Index
* First book to chart the creative life and catalogue the works of Derwent Lees, contemporary and friend of Augustus John
* With a catalogue raisonné of oil paintings • and works on paper
Lynn Davies brings together the intimate details of Derwent Lees life and work, producing a compelling and authoritative narrative. Her thoughtful exploration of Lees travels, friendships, artist groups and collaborations provides a deeply considered appraisal of an important artist who is deserving of serious discussion. – Jarrod Rawlins, Director of Curatorial Affairs, Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania
An indispensable book. For the first time, we have a rigorously researched and definitive biography of Derwent Lees accompanied by a catalogue raisonné. Lynn Davies has prepared this book assiduously, correcting misinformation that has perpetuated since the artists death. – John Hoole, curator, writer and former Director of the Barbican Galleries, London
