Original Artwork by Fred A Farrell, Glasgow War Artist.'TRISTAN & ISOLDE AN IMPRESSION 6TH OCTOBER 1919.' Frank Mullens and Robert Radford. Crayon sketch in colours on paper signed in pencil 'F A Farrell'.

DESCRIPTION: A very characteristic drawing from life during a performance of Tristan & Isolde at Covent Garden, 1919 conducted by Thomas Beecham, featuring the two main male roles sung by Robert Radford and Frank Mullins, both well-known and popular operatic singers of the English stage.

Further Comments

Fred A Farrell [1882-1937] was Glasgow's official war artist during the First World War, his remarkable series of images from this period published first in 1920, the originals later exhibited in Glasgow in 2014. The lighting effects displayed in this drawing and the general free style of on the spot sketching may be seen similarly in his war pictures. Post war Farrell did commercial work for magazines and this good size drawing was probably for reproduction in the Sphere or similar weekly issuing a colour supplement. A good biography of him online is provided by Michael Flowers in 2015 for the Tolkien Society who discovered a sketch portrait of Tolkien thought to be from life by Farrell dated 1934. It is there suggested that they may have come into contact through their Anglo Catholic backgrounds.

Although Farrell was a prolific etcher his original artwork is uncommon in commerce, this a very vibrant and characteristic example featuring a lost moment in post-war English musical culture.

SIZE: Size within mount 220mm x 290 mm.

CONDITION: CONDITION: Very Good.

£250.00

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