John Fothergill By Augustus John

 


                                 John Rowland Fothergill by Augustus John

 A wonderful drawing by Welsh artist Augustus John of John Rowland Fothergill 1876-1957.

Lover of Oscar Wilde ( before Bosie Douglas). Classical Archaeologist, art lecturer, turned publican. Author of "An Innkeeper's Diary" and several other books including a famous cookery book.

John Fothergill  was the mad cap proprietor of  “The Spreadeagle” in Thame, Oxfordshire between the wars.

“The Spreadeagle”  became a haunt for the literary and artistic world, as well as for Oxford dons and well-connected undergraduates. Its patrons included writers such as George Bernard  Shaw, H. G. Wells, Evelyn Waugh, the Sitwells, and G. K. Chesterton, Evan Morgan, Viscount Tredegar,  and  artists such as Augustus John and Paul Nash, and actors and actresses galore.

Fothergill was a savage wit and was one of the early pioneers of fine dining.

The drawing is in pencil/ charcoal, mounted  but unframed and unsigned.  It is in very good condition.

DIMENSIONS

Mount  16 inches x 22 inches

Drawing 10 inches x 14 inches

It was offered at Bonhams in 2014 as a “Portrait of a Young Man” by Augustus John.   

The present owner  but one recognised the sitter as John Fothergill from an  drawing  in a research paper on the Carfax Gallery, which had associations with Fothergill during the time he was teacher at the Slade School of Art, Chelsea.

The drawing was later authenticated by Rebecca John, the granddaughter of Augustus John and  sold off  to a loving home in the north of England.


JOHN ROWLAND FOTHERGILL 1876-1957

 

williecross@aol.com



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