A man with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a black outfit, slouches in a wooden chair, reads a book held by his left hand. In the background are two cream yellow bookshelves. The piece is marked as sold with a grey border and white text "Sold" at the bottom center.

Lawrence Alloway at Guntsfield, Ditchling, Sussex, 1956, Pastel on Laid Paper, 9 1/2 in x 11 7/8 in

Sold

Title: Lawrence Alloway at Guntsfield, Ditchling, Sussex
Artist: Sylvia Sleigh
Year: 1956
Drawing: Pastel on Laid Paper
Size: 9 1/2" x 11 7/8"

This informal portrait of Lawrence Alloway was completed on a trip to the village of Ditchling, located several miles to the north of Brighton. Alloway had been an avid reader since childhood. When Sleigh created this portrait, Alloway was emerging as an influential art critic and curator. In the pastel, he is utterly engrossed in a book, casually slouching in his chair. In the background, several shelves of books reinforce the theme of reading. This is one of Sleigh's rare pastels, most of which were executed in 1956.

Essay provided by Andrew Hottle © 2016-17
© Estate of Sylvia Sleigh

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