Modern British Gallery offers a large selection of affordable oils, watercolours and limited edition prints by major British artists.

SLADE, Anthony

Anthony Slade (1908-1941) died in 1941 of pneumonia while on active service, at the age of only 33, but achieved a notable career in his short life. Leicester Galleries (1934), The Redfern Gallery (1937) and The Goupil Gallery gave him one-man shows, exhibiting his watercolours, whilst he was still in his twenties. Encouragement came from many artists, including James Bolivar Manson in 1937, then Director of The Tate.

Anthony Slade studied at Brighton College of Art and lived and worked at 3 Marine View in Hove. However, it was his father’s artistic circle that principally formed Anthony’s short career. Anthony came under the influence of  James Dickson Innes. Innes was a close friend of Anthony’s father, Frank Adam Slade (1874-1945). Adam Slade (preferring ‘Adam’ to ‘Frank’ in his later years) was an exhibited artist in his own right whose style is closely associated with Innes’ and Lees’. Adam Slade provided an invaluable account of James Dickson Innes’ life in the latter years. His friendship with Derwent Lees developed alongside, having met at Pett Level. Through his father’s friendships, aside from Innes and Lees, the young Anthony Slade was used to regular visits and encouragement from Augustus John and Trelawney Dayrell Reed. But it was James Dickson Innes and Derwent Lees who had the strongest influence on the young Anthony Slade, reflected in execution and choice of palette, continuing the development of British modernist manner through the 1920’s.

Adam Slade soon realised his son’s potential. The Slade’s relationship with the Innes family continued after James Dickson Innes death in 1914, such that Hannah Slade, Anthony’s mother, corresponded with James Bolivar Manson to help promote her son’s work alongside Innes’ watercolours in combined shows in London’s major galleries.

Anthony’s parents were correct to promote their son as the result was that this brought Anthony’s work directly to the attention of the Goupil, Redfern and Leicester Galleries. Impressed, each gallery considered Anthony Slade’s work to be worthy of solo exhibitions, rather than combined. Anthony was only 26 when he had his first solo show at The Leicester Galleries.

The Slade family knew Jacob Epstein who mentored the young Anthony. Anthony was related (on his mother’s side) to Sven Berlin. Anthony Slade in turn encouraged the younger Sven Berlin to endeavour in his art studies.

In 1910 and 1912, Roger Fry organised two exhibitions at The Grafton Gallery titled ‘Manet and The Post Impressionists’. Virginia Woolf later said, “On or about December 1910 human character changed”, referring to the effect this exhibit had on the world. The art was too ‘new’ for the tastes of the public, to the extent that Roger Fry’s sanity was questioned. Despite that perception, Anthony Slade, in his early twenties, embraced the structures of Cezanne which he deployed in a number of etchings, printed by himself. The style was too avant-garde for public consumption, and the vast majority remained unsold. This collection of etchings remained with his descendants up to now.

Slade’s watercolour work was acquired by a number of important private and public collections. Today, his work is sought after, but rare due to the brevity of his career. The collection in this catalogue was owned by the artist’s grand daughter and is the largest selection of work available since 1937. The photograph of Anthony Slade, alongside Jacob Epstein, was most likely taken by Anthony’s Uncle, Charles, a photographer who recorded Augustus John’s camp entourage in 1909.

Artworks:

IV. ‘Six Nudes’ (ca. 1931) £75

Pencil signed etching on hand made paper, printed by artist. Titled by artist to border. Plate measures 5cm x 5.5cm plus full borders. Conservation mounted.

IX. ‘Six Nudes’ (ca. 1931) £75

Pencil signed etching on hand made paper, printed by artist. Titled by artist to border. Plate measures 5cm x 5.5cm plus full borders. Conservation mounted.

4. Landscape 2 (1933) SOLD

Signed watercolour on handmade paper. Image measures 26cm x 36.5cm. Conservation mounted. Condition: Laid down. Colours clear, unfaded. Light time toning.

7. Westwick Row (1940) £250

Signed watercolour on handmade paper. Image measures 26cm x 36.5cm. Conservation mounted. Condition: Laid down. Colours clear, unfaded.

9. Near Poynings (1932) £250

Signed watercolour on handmade paper. Image measures 26cm x 36.5cm. Conservation mounted. Condition: Laid down. Colours clear, unfaded. Light time toning.

10. Edbarton (1931) £250

Signed watercolour on handmade paper. Image measures 26cm x 36.5cm. Conservation mounted. Condition: Laid down. Colours clear, unfaded. Light time toning.

11. Harthall Lane (1938) SOLD

Signed watercolour on handmade paper. Image measures 26cm x 36.5cm. Conservation mounted. Condition: Laid down. Colours clear, unfaded.

12. Above Appsond (1940) £225

Signed watercolour on handmade paper. Image measures 26cm x 36.5cm. Conservation mounted. Condition: Laid down. Colours clear, unfaded.

13. Summer Evening (1939) SOLD

Signed watercolour on handmade paper. Image measures 26cm x 36.5cm. Conservation mounted. Condition: Laid down. Colours clear, unfaded. Light surface dirt.

16. Catsdell (1937) £250

Signed watercolour on handmade paper. Image measures 26cm x 36.5cm. Conservation mounted. Condition: Laid down. Colours clear, unfaded.

17. Edge of The Grove (1929) £175

Signed watercolour on handmade paper. Image measures 26cm x 36.5cm. Conservation mounted. Condition: Laid down. Colours clear, unfaded. Light time toning.

20. Appspond (1938) £200

Signed watercolour on handmade paper. Image measures 26cm x 36.5cm. Conservation mounted. Condition: Laid down. Colours clear, unfaded. Light time toning.

21. Winter Landscape (1931) £150

Signed watercolour on handmade paper. Image measures 26cm x 36.5cm. Conservation mounted. Condition: Laid down. Colours clear, unfaded. Light foxing to sky.