Edward Burra (1905-76)

£7,500.00

The Artist’s Mother Seated, 1924

inscribed verso E.Burra ‍
pencil on paper
31.5 x 25.5 cm (12 1/4 x 10 1/8 in)

Provenance:
The Artist’s Family.
Anthony d’Offay, London.
Private Collection, London, acquired from the above in 1980; and thence by descent to
Private Collection, London.

Exhibited:
London, Anthony d’Offay, Edward Burra (1905-1976) - Drawings and Watercolours, 1 April - 3 May 1980.

The Artist’s Mother Seated, 1924

inscribed verso E.Burra ‍
pencil on paper
31.5 x 25.5 cm (12 1/4 x 10 1/8 in)

Provenance:
The Artist’s Family.
Anthony d’Offay, London.
Private Collection, London, acquired from the above in 1980; and thence by descent to
Private Collection, London.

Exhibited:
London, Anthony d’Offay, Edward Burra (1905-1976) - Drawings and Watercolours, 1 April - 3 May 1980.

Burra enjoyed a close relationship with his mother Ermentrude Anne (née Robertson-Luxford; 1881-1968), who was an important supporter of his artistic pursuits in early life. Together they made trips to Switzerland in 1920 and to Bordighera, Italy in 1925, which sought to provide Burra with respite from his chronic health conditions; a trip to Florence in 1926 to visit his sister Anne at finishing school exposed Burra to Renaissance art and, in particular, Botticelli. ‘Dearest Snooks’, as Burra was called in Ermentrude’s letters, was encouraged to enrol at the Chelsea School of Art (known as Chelsea Polytechnic) from 1921-23, and he would go on to transfer to the Royal College of Art (RCA) in 1923-25. It was during his time at the RCA that Burra executed this drawing of his mother, which shows Ermentrude in seated profile and wearing a distinctive 1920s cloche hat and shoes, her hands appearing to hold a piece of thread. The portrait is a rare example in his oeuvre and reflects his tenderness for his mother.