Augustus John

by Michael Holroyd

  1920–9

  Kathleen Hale as secretary 445–6; non-election to Royal Academy 475; and Lord Leverhulme’s decapitated portrait 467–9; Mallord Street parties 446–7; finds motor cars irresistible 447–50; speaks of suicide 450; interested in Sampson’s dictionary 452; Casati and other women 456–7; affairs with Eve Fleming 457–8, 461, and Chiquita 458–9 (see Hicks, Zoë; Fleming, Amaryllis); paints Suggia 462–4; in Spain 483–5; first visit to USA 487–92; last meeting with Quinn 491–2; meets and paints Hardy 464–5; second visit to USA 492–3; ‘only drunk’ (not mad) at Taillteann Games 485; lays foundation stone for New Chenil Galleries 478–9; in Berlin with Eve Fleming 485, 486; paints Stresemann 461, 485–6; en famille in Ischia 486–7; walks through Provence with Cole 524; begins portrait of Lord D’Abernon 466–7; and move to Fryern Court 496, 498–9, 500; ‘gloom, gloom, gloom’ 501–2; helps Gwen John buy Yew Tree Cottage 551, 552; paints du Maurier 469–70; sells Villa Ste-Anne 496–7; last voyage to USA 493–6; elected to RA 476; drinking heavily 504–5; consults psychologist 505–6

  1929–42

  exhibits at Tooth’s Gallery 480; designs sets for O’Casey’s The Silver Tassie 518–19; begins portrait of Montagu Norman 465–6; agrees to ‘rest cure’ at Preston Deanery Hall 506–8, 511; taken in hand by Dorelia 508–9; paints Yeats 509–10; admiring entourage at Renvyle 510–11; draws Joyce 511–12; Sampson bequeaths him Smith and Wesson revolver 548–9; attends scattering of Sampson’s ashes 549; in Majorca 512; with Ada Nettleship at her death 548; in Venice with Vivien 512–13; affair with Mavis Cole 525–6, 527–8; as Tristan’s father 525, 526, 527; identifies son’s body 547; hopes for miracle at Cole’s funeral 549–60; with Caitlin (q.v.) and Dylan Thomas in Laugharne 531–3; elected President of Gypsy Lore Society 561; scenery and costumes for Barrie’s The Boy David 519–21; in Jamaica 513–14; attends father’s funeral 554; resigns from RA 476–7; challenges Mortimer Wheeler to duel 526–7; signs contract with Jonathan Cape for autobiography 566–7; begins portrait of Queen 470–3; and outbreak of Second World War 522, 557; labours over ‘The Little Concert’ 557–8; unsatisfactory wartime portraiture 558–60; gets Shaw to amuse Montgomery 559–60; petitions MPs on behalf of gypsies 560; has evacuees at Fryern 561; unperturbed by air raids 562; stature grows 562; life ‘a hideous sham’ 563; contributes to Horizon 567; offered knighthood 564; Dorelia refuses him 564; pleased with Order of Merit 564–5

  1942–61

  quarrels with Edwin 571–3; returns to St-Rémy 574; begins ‘Les Saintes-Maries de la Mer…’ 595–8; thinks of writing Gwen John memoir 572–3; ‘immobilized with work’ at Fryern 580; continues jousting with Wyndham Lewis 590–1; ‘a ghost’ 575; Moorehead suggests he write AJ’s biography xiii, 583–4; publishes Chiaroscuro 565–6, 567–70; feels ‘longings to sculpt’ 592–3; Finishing Touches languishes 570; politics in 1950s 575–8; studies of ‘old buffers’ 593–4; RA exhibition of works 585–7; double operation 587–8; convalesces in Spain 588–9; last journey abroad 589–90; interviewed by Muggeridge 592; publishes Fifty-five Drawings 585; at Earp’s funeral 590; with Matthew Smith in Chelsea 591–2; given Freedom of Tenby 594; ‘Work as usual’ 595; phantoms from past 595; begins portrait of Beaton 598; meets Greta Garbo 598; at Trafalgar Square sit-down 578–9; last weeks and death 599; funeral 599–600; grave xv; obituaries 600; memorial service 600; memorial statue xv

  appearance and clothes: as young man 44, 45, 46, 57, 58, 59, 70, 96, 119, 212–13, 243, 245, 246, 260–1; in his thirties and forties 263, 282, 320, 322, 323–4, 332, 420–1, 444, 449; in his fifties 500–1, 504, 530, 579; in his sixties 529, 562; in old age xiv, 579, 590, 592, 594

  artistic influences 54–5, 56, 78–9, 87, 105, 145, 162, 236, 240–1, 257, 355, 484–5

  attitudes to art movements and contemporary art 120–1, 341–54, 426–7

  attitude to money and his generosity 80, 119–20, 122, 420, 456

  attitude to war 401, 402–3

  attitude to women 59–60, 67–8, 83, 87, 208–9, 504, 528, 530–1, 598

  autobiographies see Chiaroscuro; Finishing Touches

  books read 15, 21, 37, 145, 148, 319, 565–6, 576

  character 6–7, 26–8, 38, 43–7, 53–4, 58–9, 60, 70, 79–80, 172, 249–50

  criticisms of his work xxxii, 26, 329–36, 425–7, 435, 487, 514-I7, 521–2, 523, 557, 586–7, 600–1

  deafness 19, 20, 385, 432

  drinking 60, 504, 505–9

  etchings 107–9, 184, 200–1, 203

  as father 114, 533, 534–8

  friendships 38, 201, 203, 208, 453–4

  handwriting 26, 501–2

  interest in gypsies see gypsies

  interest in ‘Red Indians’ 13, 15, 17, 26, 29

  melancholia 24, 27–8, 212, 259–60, 305, 442, 450, 501–2, 511, 598–9

  poetry 88–9, 151, 566, 582, 609

  politics 576–8, 588

  speech 261, 500

  as teacher 106, 144

  WORKS (see also pp. 604–6, 613–14)

  ‘Aminta’ 514

  ‘Ardor’ 129

  ‘The Blue Pool’ 369, 600

  ‘The Blue Shawl’ 600

  ‘Calderari’ 396

  ‘Caravan at Dusk’ 600

  ‘The Childhood of Pyramus’ 262, 330

  ‘Daphne’ 514

  ‘The Dawn’ 429

  ‘Dorelia in the Garden at Alderney Manor’ xxv

  ‘Dorelia Standing before a Fence’ 127, 600

  ‘Esther’ 125

  ‘The Flute of Pan’ 396

  ‘Forza e Amore’ 369, 396, 397

  ‘Fraternity’ 436, 442

  ‘French Fisher-boy’ 257

  ‘Girl on the Cliff’ (‘Nirvana’) 275–6, 277, 279

  ‘Ida in a Tent’ 600

  ‘The Jewess’ 641 (n. 42)

  ‘The Little Concert’ 557–8, 595

  ‘Lynn Cynlog’ 351–2

  ‘Lyric Fantasy’ 369, 396–7, 601

  ‘The Man from New York’ 299–300

  ‘The Mauve Jersey’ 410

  ‘Merikli’ 124–5

  ‘Miss McNeill’ 129

  ‘Moses and the Brazen Serpent’ 56, 72 and fn

  ‘The Mulatto’ 641 (n. 42)

  ‘The Mumpers’ 335, 369, 396

  ‘The Mumper’s Child’ 600

  ‘Nant-ddu’ 352

  ‘Old Arthy’ 641 (n. 42)

  ‘The Old Haberdasher’ 641 (n. 42)

  ‘Old Lady’ 69

  ‘Out on the Moor’ 184

  ‘The Pageant of War’ 435–6

  ‘Peasant Woman with Baby and Small Boy’ 257

  ‘Pyramus and Thisbe’ 184

  ‘Phyllis’ 514

  ‘The Red Feather’ 410, 600

  ‘The Red Skirt’ 600

  ‘Rustic Scene’ 638 (n. 88)

  ‘Les Saintes-Maries de la Mer with Sainte Sara, l’Egyptienne’ 319, 595–6, 597–8, 601

  ‘Seraphita’ 213, 258

  ‘The Smiling Woman’ 127, 258, 330, 331, 332, 463, 600

  ‘Study of an Undine’ 214

  ‘Symphonie Espagnole’ 484

  ‘Washing Day’ 369, 410

  ‘Woman Knitting’ 410

  John, Caspar (AJ and Ida’s second son): ‘a roaring boy’ 123, 126; toothless at ten months 142; ‘spoilt’ 163; and new baby 167; in France 192, 193, 194, 195; an acrobat 196, 197; at Ste-Honorine 216; at school 226; with Nettleships in London 238; Mrs Nettleship takes to Equihen 247; carried in sack through Brittany 256; returns to AJ and Dorelia 273–4; relationship with AJ 535–6; at Villa Ste-Anne 318–19; and cows and horses at Alderney 367; school at Dane Court 385, 386–7, and Osborne 536; makes navy his career 387–8, 540; on Mallord Street parties 421–2; with AJ at ‘Galway races & attendant activities’ 509–10; rejects Brigit Macnamara 529; marries 540; reads lesson at AJ’s memorial service 600; helps author with research xvii, xxi, xxiii, xxiv, xxxi; mentioned 191, 315, 390, 554

  Augustus John to 7, 255, 504, 558, 570, 579, 59
4

  Ethel Nettleship to 274

  John, Clara (AJ’s aunt) 8, 11–12

  John, David (AJ’s and Ida’s first son): birth and choice of name 112–13; and Ida 113–14, 116, 117; AJ’s reactions to 114; ‘difficile’ 141–2; ‘much entertained’ by new baby 167; relationship with AJ 195, 535; cuts his and Caspar’s hair 196; boisterous in father’s absence 196, 197; ‘very silly’ at Ste-Honorine 216; at school 226, 231; with Nettleships in London 238; with AJ in Equihen 247; back in London 252; returns to AJ and Dorelia 273–4; at Villa Ste-Anne 318–19; under Mrs Nettleship’s sway 356; at Alderney 370; and school life 385, 386–7, 536, 538; careers xx, 538; Henry envies 541; marriage 460, 537, 594; at AJ’s deathbed 599; author visits xx; mentioned 126, 191, 315, 539

  Augustus John to 540, 583

  John, Edwin (AJ’s and Ida’s fourth son): Ida tries to ‘dislodge’ 191; ‘another beastly boy’ 193, 194, 195, 197; ‘very ugly’ 216; remains with AJ and Dorelia after Ida’s death 238, 241; catches ophthalmia 252; AJ feels he is too much for Dorelia 271; remains with AJ and Dorelia permanently 273, 274; relationship with AJ 535; education 536; accidentally falls into boxing 539–40, 570; takes up painting 571; as Gwen John’s heir and executor 570, 571, 572; distressing relationship with AJ 571–3; helps Mary Taubman with her researches xx–xxi, xxii; presents National Museum of Wales with Gwen John’s work xxv; death xxvii; mentioned 315, 500

  Augustus John to xxx, 477, 557, 559, 574

  Dorelia McNeill to 476–7

  John, Edwin William (AJ’s father): birth 8; education 8; becomes solicitor 9; marriage 10; and life in Haverfordwest 3–4; in Tenby for AJ’s birth 3; walks with children 4–5; formidable respectability 6, 7; moves to Tenby 11–12; regime and relationship with children 12–13, 14, 24; as one of Tenby’s most bizarre characters 18; canes AJ 19–20; ambitions and matrimonial skirmishes 23–4, 357; relationship with AJ 21, 23, 25–6, 347, and with Gwen 25, 28, 160; consents to AJ going to the Slade 30–1; AJ distances himself from 44; moves house 55; opposes Gwen’s plan to go to France 70; visits Gwen in France 73; turns up at Matching Green 162–3; disapproves of AJ’s clothes 212–13; model of patience 380–1; AJ convalesces with 443; outraged at Edwin taking up boxing 540; and AJ’s election to RA 475–6; miraculous recoveries 550; death 554; mentioned 42, 105, 126, 224, 404, 494, 553

  John, Elizabeth Ann (Poppet) (AJ’s and Dorelia’s first daughter) see Pol, Poppet

  John, Emma (AJ’s aunt) 11

  John, Frederick (AJ’s uncle) 11

  John, Gwen (AJ’s sister): childhood 12, 13, 14; arguments with AJ 15; education 18–19; attitude to father 23, 24, 25; self neglect worries AJ 25; and solitude as way of life 25, 27, 48, 134, 331; invites ‘models’ home 28; suffers because of AJ 28–9, 161; giggles with Winifred 40; appearance and personality 46; joins AJ in London 47–8; dramatic involvements 48–9; AJ’s admiration for 49; joins Ida and Gwen Salmond in Paris 70–1; smuggled into Académie Carmen 71–2; learns from Whistler 72; shows ‘sense of tone’ 72; cannot accept money from father 73; painting and posing 73–4; listless at Swanage 74; relationship with McEvoy 87, 88, 115, 116; at AJ’s wedding 89; and NEAC exhibitions 93, 94–5, 137–8; difficulties in relationship with AJ 95; at ease with Ida 115; friendship with Dorelia 127, 128; walk to ‘Rome’ 134–7; cats and kittens 138, 141, 142, 217, 225; in Toulouse 142, 146; in Paris 147–8, 149, 150; ‘attracted to the wrong people’ 149; and Dorelia’s affair with Leonard 151–9, 160; relationship with Rodin 159–62, 196, 217, 223, 436–7; visits Matching Green 163; dislikes Rothensteins 172; sees John ménage in Paris 196, 202; joins them at Ste-Honorine for sake of cat 217, 218; looks for new studio in Paris 222–3; with Johns at Christmas 224; Ida praises as ‘1st rate’ 225; and Ida’s death 235; AJ praises her paintings 258, 342–3; and outbreak of war 401, 403–4, 426; moves to Meudon 437, 438; AJ visits 436–7; agitated by AJ’s concern 438; visits Symonses 550–1; exhibits at Knewstub’s gallery 480, 552; her paintings at Fryern 499; and Yew Tree Cottage 551, 552, 553, 555–6; emotional affinity with AJ 551–2; comes to Fryern 552–3; gives up painting 553; death 556; AJ studies her papers 557; Edwin as her executor 570–1, 572; AJ proposes publishing memoir 572, 573; Mary Taubman’s researches xx-xxi; established as Welsh artist by National Museum of Wales xxv; centenary exhibition xxv; archive at National Library of Wales xxvii; mentioned xxx, 41, 42, 69, 70, 77, 81, 82, 85, 341

  ‘La Chambre sur la Cour’ 258

  ‘Chloë Boughton-Leigh’ 258

  ‘Dorelia by Lamplight at Toulouse’ 601

  ‘L’Étudiante’ 138

  ‘Self-Portrait in a Red Blouse’ 49

  Tom Burns to 543

  Jeanne Foster to 492

  Augustus John to 95, 139, 142, 144, 146, 148, 150, 160, 162–3, 298, 390, 404, 416, 437–8, 474, 475, 496, 541, 554–5

  Ida John to 124, 134, 136, 142, 144, 147, 151–2, 163, 164, 167

  Thornton John to 405

  Leonard to xxx–xxxi, 155–6

  Dorelia McNeill to 154

  William Rolhenstein to 172

  Arthur Symons to 294

  John, Henry Edwin (AJ’s and Ida’s fifth son): birth 229, 230; cries all night 231–2; in France with AJ and Dorelia 238, 241; brought up by Nettleships 273, 274, 275, 325, 540; at school 540, 541; dream holidays with Johns 540–1; has ‘a shot at being a Jesuit’ 541–5; cannot look ‘directly at any female’ 545–6; seeks ‘big fresh start’ with Olivia Plunket-Greene 546; vanishes in Cornwall 547; AJ’s reaction to his death 547–8; mentioned xxx

  Augustus John to 539, 543–4

  Edwin John to 570

  John, Ida (née Nettleship) (AJ’s wife): kissed by Browning 61; at Slade 50, 61; and Jungle Book characters 61–2; engaged to Clement Salaman 62–3; in Florence 63–4; becomes involved with AJ 64–5, 66, 67, 69; paints in Paris 70, 71, 72, 73–4; depicted in Orpen’s ‘Hamlet’ 51, 77–8; strained relationship with AJ 82; together again 88–9; marriage 89–90; gets measles and returns to Wigmore St 96; with AJ in Liverpool 97, 98; becomes friends with Mary Dowdall (‘Rani’) 98, 99; first pregnancy 105–6, 110; AJ paints 108; has nightmares 111, 112; and birth of their son 112, 113–14; in need of sympathetic companionship 115; Gwen John at ease with 115; returns with AJ to London 116; physical and character changes since marriage 117; and father’s death 117–18; second pregnancy 118–19; and Caspar’s birth 123; provoked by Esther Cerutti 125; first mention of Dorelia 127; ménage-a-trois 129–30; tries to deflect Alice Rothenstein 131–2; confides in the Rani 132–3; house hunting 134; envious of Gwen’s escapade with Dorelia 136; and move to Matching Green 138; wish to ‘create something’ 140; reprimanded by Alice Rothenstein 140–1; and life at Elm House 141–4; and Dorelia’s absence in France 144, 146, 147, 149; beats baby to sleep 149; pregnant again 151; longs for Dorelia’s return 151, 152, 157–8; loses power of sitting 152; welcomes AJ and Dorelia 162, 163; and birth of third son 166–8; receives unwanted advice from Rothensteins 168–70; Dorelia’s pregnancy, jealousy and quarrels 174–82; and birth of Dorelia’s son 182, 183; a.happy summer on Dartmoor 183–5; with Dorelia at Matching Green 185–6; Paris scheme and reaction of family 186–91; disenchanted with babies 191; sails for France 192–3; and birth of fourth son 193–4; regains happiness 194–6; and move to rue Dareau 197; with mother at Menton 197–8; at Ste-Honorine 216, 217, 219–20; pregnant again 221; finds logement for Dorelia 223; gives Christmas party 224–5; dismayed at living with AJ again 227–8; and Lambs 248, 249; longs for girl 229; engages new nanny 229; asks Dorelia to return 229; Henry’s birth, and her illness and death 230–3; effect of death on AJ 233–4, 236–7, 259; Lamb and McEvoy at cremation 234; ashes 252; effect of death on Edna Clarke Hall 276; mentioned xxx, 69, 94, 104, 147, 210, 213

  John, Joanna (AJ’s aunt) 11

  John, Kathie (AJ’s daughter-in-law) 601, 602

  John, Mary (née Davies) (AJ’s grandmother) 7, 8

  John, Mary (‘Pumpy’) (née Vanderpump) (AJ’s daughter-in-law) 540

  John, Poppet see
Pol, Poppet

  John, Pyramus (AJ’s and Dorelia’s first son): conception 174; birth 182–3; weakly 188; in France with family 192–3, 195, 197, 224; ‘Wordsworthian’ 216; at Equihen 241, 242, 251; with Dorelia in Paris 270; death and cremation 389–90; mentioned 274, 315, 358

  John, Robin (AJ’s and Ida’s third son): birth 166, 174; ‘most beautiful’ 167; relationship with AJ 195; climbs and jumps a lot 197, 216; Mrs Nettleship carries off to London 238, takes to Equihen 247, carries back to London 252; remains with AJ and Dorelia 273, 274; ill with scarlet fever 305; his silences madden AJ 535; AJ’s portrait bought for Tate Gallery 426; has Hope-Johnstone as philosopher and guide 451; to school in France 536; studies in Granada 483; subsequent career 539; relationship with AJ 538, 539; author catches up with xx; mentioned 256

  Augustus John to 575, 583

  John, Romilly (AJ’s and Dorelia’s second son): birth not registered xvii, 215; with Dorelia in Paris 224; at Equihen 241, 251–2; eats lilies 263; with Dorelia in France 270, 315; at Alderney 366, 368–9, 541; describes AJ 533fn, 535–6; Hope-Johnstone as tutor 383, 384fn; schooling 385 and fn, 387, 536; on AJ’s Buick 447–8, 450; subsequent career and publication of The Seventh Child 538; sees AJ and Dorelia off to Spain 588–9; with Dorelia at Fryern xv, xvi–xvii, 601; and Dorelia’s death xxiii, 601–2; mentioned 220, 274; helps the author in research xxiii; and the John family papers xxiv, xxv, xxvi, xxxi