This watercolour by the artist and writer William Gaunt (1900-1980) is, surprisingly, the only known depiction of Home House during Samuel Courtauld’s residence there in the 1920s. Signed, titled and dated 1928, it is a gentle caricature of one of the Courtaulds’ cocktail parties. It appears to depict the ballroom of Home House and two of Courtauld’s paintings hang either side of the door. Neither of these painting can be identified with any certainty. The painting on the right-hand wall seems to be a sketchy rendering of a rather ungainly seated female nude with her leg outstretched and an oversized foot. This may be Gaunt’s memory of Gauguin’s Nevermore, which, although a reclining nude, was the only nude that Courtauld owned at this time that roughly matches the drawing (the format of the painting depicted seems more like Gauguin’s Te Rerioa but Courtauld didn’t acquire that work until the following year).

Some guests at the party are identified in a letter from Sacheverell Sitwell to an unknown recipient, identifying his brother Osbert Sitwell (centre), Lady Oxford (foreground, with fur hat) and Augustus John (foreground).

The watercolour was reproduced in Gaunt’s publication London Promenade, The Studio Ltd., London, 1930, where it is titled In Portman Square. At the time of the publication, Gaunt exhibited some of the drawings and watercolours reproduced in the book at the Royal Academy and The Redfern Gallery.

Michael Parkin Fine Art (London) (as per a label formerly on the frame, now missing, but recorded by Roseberys); Roseberys (London), 27 March 2018, lot 6; Absolute Fine Art (Middleton Cheney, Oxfordshire); purchased there by the Samuel Courtauld Trust, January 2020

Gaunt, William, London promande, London 1930
p. 107
ill.

Watermark: none.

Inscription: Recto: lower left edge, graphite, titled: “Cocktail Party”; right corner, graphite, signed and dated: “W. Gaunt 1928”. Verso: right centre edge, graphite, difficult to read: “of 45/5 / Portman Square / [arrow pointing up]”; lower right, graphite: “T”; lower left, graphite: “G63/L”; lower right, graphite: “P”; lower right edge, graphite: “96-7=4” [similar numerical inscriptions appear on other drawings such as D.1984.AB.28, possibly indicating this drawing belonged to one of the Gallery's collections at some point]. Letter formerly on verso of frame, now removed and kept in folder with the drawing: written in black ballpoint on paper with letterhead “WESTON HALL, TOWCESTER, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. / TEL: SULGRAVE213. STATION: BANBURY”: “11.iv.1972 / Dear [here a large area of paper is torn and missing] / […]Cocktail Party’ 1928 must have been when / Mr. Samuel Courtauld was still living at 20, Portman Square . / I think the figure in the centre must be intended for my / brother. / Perhaps the tall man on the left with his back almost / turned might be Mr. St. John Hutchinson, the lawyer, / and I suppose the lady in the foreground with the fur hat / could be Lady Oxford. It is not an awfully good / drawing is it? / Yours faithfully, / Sacheverell Sitwell”.

Collector's mark: none.

Label: removed and now kept in a folder with the drawing, printed in brown ink: "0679 / MICHAEL PARKIN / FINE ART LIMITED / 15 Halkin Arcade Motcomb Street / London. S.W.1".