Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1526390
Two Cats, 1955-57 Signed 'Craxton '55-'57', lower right Tempera on board 47 x 59 cm (18 1/2 x 23 1/4 in) £45,000 'As with many of Craxton's subjects, there are different versions of this image. I can think of a conte- and-charcoal drawing with the same title and a tempera on paper, both done in 1955, and there may be others. The geometric stylization of fur and limbs is extreme in the drawing, but gentle here. The painting of two lean but friendly cats was made for the photographer Joan Leigh Fermor. Craxton had met Joan Eyres Monsell, as she was at the time, in London during the war, and she became a lifelong friend. In 1944, Joan met Patrick Leigh Fermor in Cairo and they fell in love, eventually marrying in 1968. So, when Craxton discovered Greece in the immediate post-war years and renewed his friendship with Joan, he also met Paddy, as he was universally known. Artist and author became great friends, and Craxton was the obvious choice when Paddy wanted someone good to design covers for his books. Their partnership resulted in a series of memorable designs'. (Andrew Lambirth, Craxton's Cats, Thames & Hudson, London, 2024, p.52) Provenance John Craxton Estate Literature Andrew Lambirth, Craxton's Cats, Thames & Hudson, London, 2024, p.53 (ill. col.) Exhibited London, Osborne Samuel, Craxton's Cats, 19th September – 4th October 2024