Duncan Grant

Paul Roche posed for Duncan Grant in 1951.

 

Painted by Duncan Grant

Through his contacts with the Bloomsbury Group, P.C. Daley became the subject of this rather nice portrait by noted artist Duncan Grant.  And that's our segue into the next segment of today's series.

 

Early 20th Century, Part 2 - Duncan Grant's Male Nudes

I've posted work by Duncan Grant before, but I recently came across a London gallery website 

which generously posted some of his previously unpublished male nudes.  Although he was active 

up until shortly before his death in 1978, he is best known for his work in that pioneering group 

of mostly gay and bisexual London intellectuals and artists who made up the Bloomsbury Group 

in the first half of the 20th Century.  This photo shows Mr. Grant about 1930.

 

Standing

Duncan Grant was sparing when it came to titles for his male nude works, with most of those I can find either having no name or just a few descriptive words.  This is Standing Male Nude.

 

Fitzroy Street

Duncan Grant called this one, Male Nude, Fitzroy Street.

 

Duo

I don't know what the objective was here (acrobatics?), 

but it really makes for a very pleasant painting.

 

That look

The model seems to connect with the viewer through his look.

 

Drawing

I love the facial expression in this undated and untitled Duncan Grant drawing.

 

Duncan Grant's Male Nude Paintings

Duncan Grant (1185-1978) was a painter and member of the influential Bloomsbury Group in early 20th Century London.  A gay man, he somehow managed to father a daughter with a lady friend and had too many male lovers to list here.  He was a great artist and interesting character, and this is one of many male frontal nudes he painted over his career.

An artist friend told me that painting men's backs is not easy.  

Duncan Grant seems to have it down here.

I think this painting is a good example of how Duncan Grant could depict the male form so well without the anatomical precision used by some other painters.

A semi-abstract approach makes this painting of a seated male interesting.

This frontal standing nude is the economist John Maynard Keynes, one of Grant's many lovers.

This early 20th C. standing nude is by Duncan Grant.