Completed London: Artists and Subjects, Portraits: British 20th C 44 Do you know who painted Charles Brehmer Heald (1882–1974)?

My tentative suggestion would be Francis Edwin Hodge (1883-1949), who was working at the right sort of time in a free, French-influenced light-toned manner influenced by his teachers Brangwyn, John and Orpen. He painted a number of prominent medical figures, mainly from the Royal College of Surgeons.

Interestingly Heald's assistant was an amateur artist (see attachment from the British Medical Journal March 12th 1977). A few of her watercolours seem to have been on ebay recently, though not really sufficient for a decent comparison. I'm doubtful the portrait is by her, but I suppose it's a possibility at least.

Rose was a watercolourist, not an oil painter, I believe, but her husband, Henry Clarence Whaite (1895-1978), a few of whose pictures can be seen on Your Paintings, was a painter in oils, and at one time an assistant to Henry Tonks. We are not aware that he painted portraits, but Art Detective experts may wish at least to confirm excluding him from consideration. They lived in Hampstead for many years. By the way Clarence (Rose called him Henry) was the obituarist of the piece found by Tim Williams. Gillian Whaite, their daughter, has one picture on Your Paintings. Unfortunately both the Whaites' offspring have passed away, and had no children, so we cannot consult them.

Does any one know the location of a copy of the catalogue to the 1921 exhibition of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters [not apparently in the National Art Library, the Tate Library, the British Library or the Courtauld Institute Library] as this just might have included the portrait? I am awaiting a rely from the RSPP itself as to whether it has a copy in its archive

Martin, there is a digitised copy online:

http://www.racollection.org.uk/ixbin/indexplus?*sform=/search_form/allform&_IXTRAIL_=Search+Exhibition+Catalogues&_IXACTION_=query&_IXSPFX_=templates/summary/&_IXSP_=0&_IXresults_=y&exhibitions=true&all_fields=Royal+Society+of+Portrait+Painters&extitle;=&exdate;=&submit=Search

I've skimmed through it but can't see anything (pages 47-66 are the main catalogue listings).

That is very good to know, Tim. It saves a lot of hassel

I've been in touch with Dr James Peters (the archivist at Manchester) to see if there was anything amongst the Heald papers in the special collections:

"I have checked the catalogue entry for C B Heald’s autobiography, which is reasonably detailed. Unfortunately, I can find no reference there to his portrait. My feeling is that if the memoir had mentioned this, the cataloguer would probably have recorded the fact."

It seems unlikely that the information of how this portrait came to be is there - though there might be other leads gained from digesting the unpublished autobiography - could be a good read! Potential small publshing project for the Royal Free & University of Manchester perhaps?

This is just a suggestion.

The painting of the head and the background remind me of the work of Arnold Mason (1885-1963) but the painting of the torso and arms do not. They are much more 'impressionistic' and lacking in detail than I would expect. Perhaps just something not finish it in his usual fashion.

So could this possibly be an unfinished portrait by Arnold Mason? If it's unfinished, that would explain why it isn't signed.

Very few portraits by Francis Edwin Hodge (1883–1949) have such dull backgrounds, one might assume that he indulged the background with the detail, and tho’ the portrait of Heald is entirely competent and not particularly amateur, it is distinctly short on detail. From the images on Art UK’s site, Hodge has generally speaking a much lighter, at times even hesitant touch than that exhibited in the Heald portrait. Arnold Mason (1885–1963), whose work is altogether rather knowing, seems from the image evidence on Art UK to be even less likely a candidate. But both are of the period and worth having been pursued.

I would suggest that the stiff attached collar and tie, central hair parting and moustache suggest a date earlier than the First World War, and so possibly an artist born earlier than either Hodge or Mason. In 1920–1925, the date given for the portrait, Heald would have been 38 to 43, and for someone who had been through the entire war as a medical officer, he looks surprisingly young.
We are again in the unsound territory of comparing images with images, and unless further documentation can be found, this is stalemate.

The Royal Free Hospital does not say how the portrait was acquired nor yet how the attribution of the sitter as Heald came about, or why they have the date they do for his portrait. Is there any information on the back of the portrait such as exhibition labels, canvas stamps, etc.? Is it likely that it was commissioned by the Royal Free? Was it given by a member of the family? Was he a Rheumatologist? Is that another way of describing the specialism of physical medicine? Have they been through the personal papers, letters, etc. in the National Maritime Museum?

This discussion has hung fire for over a year, and I am now asked to close it. I raise a number of questions, however, which if the Royal Free can provide answers would open the case once more.

I'm sorry not to have turned my attention to this discussion (or its predecessor) before; but I would certainly now ask for it to be left open, as after a lot of biographical and genealogical delving today I may have come up with a family lead.

I've managed to track down some grandchildren of Charles Brehmer Heald, and at least one of these - a son of the youngest of Heald's three daughters, Audrey (1920-2011) - looks, prima facie, to be the sort of man who might be able to help: he is a former museum director of distinction, and has written an eloquent and informative memoir of his step-grandfather on his father's side. I've even found an email address, and am writing to him now; until I hear back, however, I will leave him anonymous.

Dr Charles Heald had a more interesting and distinguished career than the his limited biography** suggests. During the First World War he rose to be a Lt-Col, on the Air Staff as Assistant Medical Administrator to the RAF, and appt CBE; he was subsequently (before his return to clinical work) Medical Adviser to the Director of Civil Aviation. He seems to have been quite a prescient medical man - in the mid-1920s he was already warning of the dangers to health and fitness of smoking (at least to excess); he had a particular interest in sports medicine; and very soon after the appearance of "talking films", he saw their potential in medical training and perhaps even diagnosis. There is a full biography of him in the Royal College of Physicians' Munk's Roll here: http://munksroll.rcplondon.ac.uk/Biography/Details/2123

Interesting to see that before the First War he did post-grad work in both SW Germany and Sweden - not my area at all, but is a German or Scandinavian artist a possibility (assuming it is, as Katharine rightly suggests, pre-war)?

**Sorry, I now see a lot of extra biographical information was covered in the previous discussion - the link to it (which I'd missed) is at the top right of this page.

The collection have been contacted regarding the recent comments on this discussion.

The Royal Free Hospital indicate they have no further information than that provided when this discussion started, and would request that the discussion is left open for now.

A Scandinavian painter with experience in Paris is certainly a possibility

Katharine, I think some of the questions you ask were more or less answered in the previous discussion on this painting: http://www.artuk.org/artdetective/discussions/discussions/any-information-about-this-portrait-of-an-unknown-rheumatologist

Pat Hardy also posted there some more images of both front and rear taken when she and Martin went to see the portrait. (Incidentally, Martin - was there any sign it had been cut down?) The only clue on the back is the furniture remover's label, and being on the frame it's impossible to know how long it's been associated with the picture: the firm was Biddick & Co of Bridgwater & Burnham-on-Sea. It has been suggested the label might relate to W. Biddick, a frame maker in the Caledonian Road. I have tracked down this framer, Wallace Edward Biddick (1886-1963), who was the son of a Cornish-born butler. Wallace probably worked for the well-known Joseph Tanous pre-WW1 before setting up on his own c1915 and continuing at the same London address until 1940. However it is now clear that he was unconnected with the Somerset firm of Biddick & Co, who traded as remover-storers (and much else) at Bridgwater & Burnham from at least 1912 until 1960. So the label is just what it seems - evidence of it having been stored in that neck of the woods, and from the typeface probably well before WW2 (though I am no expert).

I have received a hugely helpful reply from my Heald grandson, who knew nothing of the portrait (which he confirms is beyond question his mother's father, whom he knew well). He has provided much personal detail that is of great interest and some relevance, but will look for anything else - especially photos from the period that may help us pin down the date. Here is an extract: "I agree with the notes on the first link [to the first discussion] you give ... that this can have been painted no later than about 1920. He was always a conservative dresser, so it is entirely possible that he was dressing as a gentleman not up with the latest fashion! He looks very young: my hunch is that it was painted just before WWI [as Katharine suggests]: but would he have advanced so far up the tree, medically, to have had a portrait commissioned at that stage in his career? I wonder if his distinguished war record (and his survival) might have merited that attention in 1919? All mere conjecture. I will see if I can find anything in the suitcase that might shed light."

I will report back on any further developments, and probably attach a copy of his full email once I've cleared it with him. I've also asked him if any family member he knows of lived in the Bridgwater area.

There was no sign that it had been cut down

Thanks, Martin

His typescript autobiography, correspondence and other papers in the University of Manchester might prove enlightening

Yes, the John Rylands Library material will certainly be of great interest - my family contact also drew my attention to them. Re the painting, though, Tim Williams reported a year or more ago (above) that the archivist at Manchester had checked the catalogue entry for Heald’s autobiography (which he described as "reasonably detailed"), but could find no reference there to his portrait. He felt that "if the memoir had mentioned this, the cataloguer would probably have recorded the fact."

It is still possible that the other papers, if not the memoir, may refer to the portrait - or perhaps mention an artistic acquaintance (though my correspondent notes that Dr Heald was "entirely ignorant of the fine arts ... and uninterested in the visual arts"). But it looks like any clues from the archive would have to be dug out the hard way - and I'm not sure who's likely to get stuck into that any time soon. There is a 'boxlist' of the archive's contents here : http://bit.ly/2eOTlop . Boxes 7, 8, 13 & 18 seem to contain the most directly relevant C.B. Heald material (including letters and contemporary photos), along with nos. 10 & 11 which contain his mother's diaries 1912-1926. The catalogue for the autobiog is not viewable online, as far as I can see.

I don't know whether this would be of any interest to you but I have attached a copy of Charles Brehmer Heald's entry
of his Royal Aero Club Aviator's Certificate.
It is dated August 31st 1918.

Thought it could possibly help with dates.
It is interesting to compare it to the painting.
He has aged a little but it is the loss of innocence in his face that I find most striking.

Just to give this discussion a bump up to the top of the feed, Royal Free Hospital's portrait of Charles Brehmer Heald is currently on show at the London Art Fair, as part of Art UK's first physical exhibition. More on that here:

https://www.artuk.org/about/blog/view_as/grid/type/five-artists-choose-london-art-fair

Hopefully someone might suggest an attribution!

We're grateful to David Buckman for sending us his thoughts on possible artists for this portrait. They are reproduced below:

I don’t think it is by Philip de Laszlo, as there is a site that, as part of ongoing research, lists all his known works and it doesn’t quite seem his style, although he was, in the manner of J. S. Sargent, a swagger artist. (https://artuk.org/discover/artists/de-laszlo-philip-alexius-18691937)

R. G. Eves might have painted it, but Eves seems diligently to have clearly signed all his works. (http://artuk.org/discover/artists/eves-reginald-grenville-18761941)

I consider a fairly strong contender to be Thomes Cantrell Dugdale, a prolific portrait painter. (https://artuk.org/discover/artists/dugdale-thomas-cantrell-18801952)

Alfred Kingsley Lawrence cannot be rejected, along with James Ardern Grant, both, again, strong portrait men. (https://artuk.org/discover/artists/lawrence-alfred-kingsley-18931975) (https://artuk.org/discover/artists/grant-james-ardern-18871973)

I would also suggest that contact with surviving Heald family members might provide a valuable lead. Maybe the artist was a friend of Heald.

Thank you for the interesting artist suggestions, Mr Buckman (or "Please pass on our thanks to Mr Buckman, Edward, for..."). I'm not familiar with any of them except de Laszlo and Dugdale; but with the exception of the former, all seem prima facie to be plausible. Like you, I feel that de Laszlo can be rejected on stylistic grounds - and he invariably signed even his wonderful 'two hour' sketches.

The family has already been contacted, as you can see if you read the three fairly extensive posts by me just a few above yours. The grandson I am (or was) in touch with was immensely helpful, but at that time unable to come up with anything concrete to help us with an artist (though he was still looking). I previously (see above) floated the idea of an artistic acquaintance; but though not impossible, it is perhaps less likely in view of the information I was given that Dr Heald was "entirely ignorant of the fine arts ... and uninterested in the visual arts".

As promised a year ago (sorry, I forgot), I will shortly post more substantial extracts from my email exchange with Heald's grandson, in which he gives a lot of interesting personal / biographical information about him. Before I do that I'll get in touch with him again to see if he's come up with anything else, and also to check he doesn't mind me quoting him at greater length.

Meanwhile here again is the link to a close-up of the face in the portrait: http://bit.ly/2Bh3NQ5 . Perhaps the very bold and free brushwork will ring a bell. The photo was taken by Pat Hardy when she and Martin Hopkinson went to look at the portrait at the Royal Free three years ago, and was posted in the previous discussion which can be read here: http://bit.ly/2DuGCYo

Could William Orpen be a contender? He was a star pupil of Henry Tonks when the latter taught at the Slade, and Tonks, with his medical hat on, was at the Royal Free Hospital, and must have known Heald well. The paining has many elements of Orpen's loose and open brush work on his backgrounds, while also representing the face in heavier more detailed oils. A Google Images search will illustrate many such seemingly unfinished portraits.

Osmund, thank you for re-posting the close-up image which shows the brushwork in such good detail. Do you have more to post about the sitter? Re your comment of 20/01/18 05:13: 'I will shortly post more substantial extracts from my email exchange with Heald's grandson ...'.

What about Thomas Cantrell Dugdale ???

Dugdale's work (on Art UK) strikes me as more slick and less painterly.

Oh dear, yet another AD project I pushed so far on to the back burner that it disappeared off the edge of the stove. Mea maxima culpa. I was sort of waiting originally to hear if C B Heald's grandson came up with anything else - he was going to check a suitcase of family stuff, including photos; but *he* may have been waiting for the fuller response from me to his email that I'd promised him. I think I make too many promises.

I'll write to him again tonight, if only to get his OK to post more of what he told me about his grandfather - not that it really helps with the search for an artist, but it's very interesting stuff. Being built like an athlete and 6' 4" tall, CBH was naturally known to one and all as as 'Shorty'!

I thought Dugdale because the colours he uses are similar and some of his backgrounds have the speckled effect seen here.

Dugdale wasn't always 'more slick and less painterly' (post 18/09/19 23:59) - see the 1925 portrait of Herbert Henry Asquith at Bailliol College, Oxford, the undated and unidentified 'Portrait of a Fellow' at the RSA, and 'L. Du Garde Peach' in the collection of BBC England. I agree that Dugdale is a strong contender.

As Geraint Richard Hall and Kieran Owens have both already suggested, could this be an unfinished painting?

Marion, to my eye, in the pictures you cite (especially the first two) the handling of the paint is choppier or patchier, apparently for the sake of "highlighting," an effect I find flashier and more mannered. I do not get that sense or impression from the Heald portrait, even if that does not mean Dugdale could not have painted it.

Actually, in my prior comment, I meant "especially the portraits of Asquith and Peach."

Although I'm not sure Heald would have been his type of client, how about James Jebusa Shannon (1862-1923), who was definitely influenced by Sargent? Here's his self-portrait:

https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/sir-james-jebusa-shannon-157928/view_as/grid/search/keyword:jebusa/page/3

There are many other works by him on Art UK.

Kieran's suggestion of Orpen is interesting as there are other works by him at the Royal Free. If you search on Art UK for the collection and order by date (old to new), you can see the painters who are represented in the collection at a similar time.
https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/search/venue:royal-free-hospital-5946/sort_by/date_earliest/order/asc/page/1/view_as/grid
Could one of these be the artist? (For quick reference, portraits in the collection from around the time of this one are by Ethel Wright, Hugh Goldwin Riviere, George Kingston Jones, Mary Frances Field, George Hillyard Swinstead, Francis Dodd, William Orpen, Walter Chamberlain Urwick and Isaac Michael Cohen)

Out of that list, Andrew, I suppose it might be by Orpen or Riviere, but I'm not fully convinced by either.

If this were to be a pre-WWI portrait, which I tend to doubt (an expert on dress might help with dating), and given that Heald spent some time in Stockholm, it is conceivable (albeit relatively unlikely) that this might be by Anders Zorn (1860-1920), who was a kind of Swedish Sargent and extremely successful in his day. As I said about Shannon, Heald was not the sort of client one would associate with a leading society portraitist, but it's worth a thought.

Some examples of Zorn's work:

https://d2mpxrrcad19ou.cloudfront.net/item_images/313556/8318404_fullsize.jpg

https://drawpaintacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Anders-Zorn-Self-Portrait-1889.jpg

https://cdn2.oceansbridge.com/2018/11/29042122/Mr-Frans-R.-Heiss-Anders-Zorn-Oil-Painting.jpg

It appears, surprisingly, that there is nothing by him on Art UK.

I am quite possibly over-speculating, but the fact Heald was a physically striking man might have attracted the interest of a portrait painter from a purely visual or artistic standpoint, even if Heald was not a typical client otherwise.

Given his sometimes Orpen-esque style of portraiture and painting, as well as his own friendships with the above-mentioned Henry Tonks and his circle, could this be a portrait by Philip Connard (1875 - 1958)?

https://www.artuk.org/discover/artists/connard-philip-18751958

As he is currently active in another Connard discussion, perhaps Kenneth McConkey could take a look at this portrait and offer his opinion on the matter, and also consider if it could actually be by Orpen himself.

Connard's archive of letters and papers is held at the RA:

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/archive/philip-connard-ra-papers

And one other artist worth considering is Glyn Warren Philpot (1884 - 1937):

https://artuk.org/discover/artists/philpot-glyn-warren-18841937

This 7 year old discussion, "Do you know who painted Charles Brehmer Heald (1882–1974)?", has come up with all sorts of ideas for the artist. I suspect that we are aiming too high, producing names of leading artists, when this may be the work of a more obscure hand that will be difficult if not impossible to trace.

Given the duration of the discussion and the names eliminated, is it time to close the discussion and admit that we don't know the artist?

A check of the RSA Exhibitors1826-1990 has drawn a complete blank on a search for "Heald".

Has anyone explored the possibility put forward by Osmund that the artist was a Scandinavian with knowledge of French painting? There were many portraitists of quality among them in Paris at this period - generation after Zorn