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The recent exhibit of Mr. P.A. de László’s portraits at Messrs. Agnew’s gallery in aid of the funds of the Artist’s General Benevolent Institution effectively demonstrated the capacities of an artist who has attained a great distinction in the modern art world. It showed admirable both the power and the variety of his achievement; and it was particularly significant in its revelation of his shrewd insight into character and of his skill in realising subtleties of personality. Mr. de László, indeed, is a painter of rather rare gifts, and his work is fascinating in its acuteness of observation and its frank directness of interpretation; he seems always to know so well what he has to do that he is able to solve with certainty the most difficult problems of technical procedure. The straightforwardness of his method never degenerates into mere executive display; the vehement actuality of his canvases is consistently tempered with refinement and grace of style and the brilliancy of his handling is always controlled by a true sense of artistic fitness. The examples which are given here of his more recent practice show effectively various phases of his art - the vigour and vitality of his portrait of Lord Roberts, the elegance and distinction of his painting of the Baroness de Baeyens, the dainty spontaneity of his sketch of Madame Montagu Jannez, and the powerful characterisation of his study of Mrs. Haldane Macfall claim the sincerest admiration, and not less worthy of attention is the delightful drawing of the Duchess of Portland as a typical illustration of yet another side of his practice. There is certainly no direction in which his work fails to appeal for the most serious consideration.
p. 300 – Mrs. Haldane macfall [1911] p. 301 – The Duchess of Portland [chalk drawing, 1911] p. 303 – Madame Montagu Jannez [1911] p. 304 – Baroness de Baeyens [1912] p. 305 – F. M. Earl Roberts [1911]
Notes
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