Sir Edward Fry (1827–1918) was a judge in the English Court of Appeal and the father of seven daughters and two sons, one of whom was the author of this drawing. In this portrait, the artist concentrated all his attention on precisely rendering his dead father’s now serene features, and minutely delineating his hair, while describing the bed sheet and pillow with only a few sparse lines.

Roger Fry was a champion of modern art in Britain, a member of the avant-garde Bloomsbury Group, and the founder of the Omega workshops. Born into a Quaker family, he wrote that its members “had a moral sense that makes them as rigid as iron and tenacious as steel”. Partly because of his religious belief, Edward Fry considered art a trivial pursuit that endangered his son’s morality. Roger’s choice of career was most likely a disappointment to his father. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine how the modernity of the art Fry pursued, and the unconventional life he chose to lead, could be reconciled with his father’s conservative opinions. In this portrait, however, the artist finally seems to have made peace with the severe judge, whose long life had rarely been touched by illness.

sister of the artist, Agnes Fry (1869-1958); Gift of Agnes Fry, 1958

About Time, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 24/02/2000-30/05/2000

Portraits by Roger Fry, Courtauld Gallery, London and Mappin Gallery, Sheffield, 1976

Vision and Design - The life, work and influence of Roger Fry, Nottingham University City Art Gallery; Leeds City Art Gallery; Laing Art Gallery; Manchester City Art Gallery, 13/03/1966-13/08/1966

Watermark: Watermark: none.

Collector's mark: none.

Inscription: Recto: lower right, graphite, signed and dated: "R.F. Oct. 20. '18.".