Keogh & Riehlman | Duncan Grant

DUNCAN GRANT
(1885-1978)

Woman at a Window
Oil and gouache on paper,
9 1/2 x 7 inches
Signed (at lower right):
D. Grant

Executed in 1938

Ex. coll: A.C.A. Galleries, New York; to private collection; to his son

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Woman at a Window

Duncan Grant was one of the few painters working in early 20th century Britain whose work compares favorably with French painting of the same period. Born in Scotland, but raised in India, Grant received his initial training while living with his cousins the Stracheys- including the future literary genius Lytton - in Britain. Later the artist studied in Paris in the atelier of Jacques-Emile Blanche.

The breath of Grant's output is impressive; he was one of Britain's most creative and original artists. He would paint on almost any available surface and worked in other media, including textiles, ceramics and mosaics. He drew inspiration from many cultures. The elongated proportions of Woman at a Window are reminiscent of Byzantine mosaics, a favorite of Grant's. The landscape behind the figure was probably inspired by the downs at Charleston, the house he shared with his lifelong companion Vanessa Bell in Sussex.