Painting
1945 (drawn)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Thispainting by Albert Houthuesen represents the clown Danny Polo, and was one of several clown portraits that Houthuesen drew at the Doncaster Theatre in 1945, when the Houthuesens were living temporarily in Tickhill, near Doncaster. According to Houthuesen's biographer, for him the clown became a symbol, inseparable in spirit from an artist and a poet, and many of his works portray the clown as philosopher and saint.
Albert Houthuesen (1903-1979) was born in Amsterdam but came to London with his mother in 1912 after the death of his father. After attending the Royal College of Art, he became a teacher and subsequently a full-time artist. His work covered a wide range of subjects and mediums but he always loved the theatre, dance and clowns, and was inspired to make his first clown drawings in 1944 after meeting the Hermans, a family of Russian Jewish clowns.
Albert Houthuesen (1903-1979) was born in Amsterdam but came to London with his mother in 1912 after the death of his father. After attending the Royal College of Art, he became a teacher and subsequently a full-time artist. His work covered a wide range of subjects and mediums but he always loved the theatre, dance and clowns, and was inspired to make his first clown drawings in 1944 after meeting the Hermans, a family of Russian Jewish clowns.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | brush and ink, possibly with watercolour, on paper. |
| Brief description | Danny Polo with riding crop, drawn from life at the Doncaster Theatre. Portrait by Albert Houthuesen (1903-1979), pencil and crayon. |
| Physical description | Full-length portrait of the clown Danny Polo wearing a wide-collared shirt with puffed sleeved, wide-legged knee-length trousers, oversized shoes, and a wide-brimmed hat decorated with a flower. He is holding a curved riding crop to his chest with both hands, and looks down to his right. Doncaster Theatre 1945. Ink or ink and watercolour, signed A.H, the initials of Albertus Houthuesen. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Signed verso 'A.H', the initials of Albert Houthuesen, and 'Danny Polo', and inscribed in pencil verso: 'Danny Polo at Doncaster Theatre, 1945. St Mary's Gate Tickhill nr. Doncaster (where we lived temporarily). C.H.' (CH were the initials of Catherine Houthuesen, the widow of Albert Houthuesen.) |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs Catherine Houthuesen |
| Production | A note in pencil verso by Houthuesen or his widow notes that this was painted at Doncaster Theatre. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Thispainting by Albert Houthuesen represents the clown Danny Polo, and was one of several clown portraits that Houthuesen drew at the Doncaster Theatre in 1945, when the Houthuesens were living temporarily in Tickhill, near Doncaster. According to Houthuesen's biographer, for him the clown became a symbol, inseparable in spirit from an artist and a poet, and many of his works portray the clown as philosopher and saint. Albert Houthuesen (1903-1979) was born in Amsterdam but came to London with his mother in 1912 after the death of his father. After attending the Royal College of Art, he became a teacher and subsequently a full-time artist. His work covered a wide range of subjects and mediums but he always loved the theatre, dance and clowns, and was inspired to make his first clown drawings in 1944 after meeting the Hermans, a family of Russian Jewish clowns. |
| Associated objects |
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| Bibliographic reference | John Rothenstein ‘British Art Since 1900’, 1962.
John Rothenstein ‘Albert Houthuesen: An Appreciation’ 1969.
John Rothenstein ‘Modern English Painters’ vol 111, 1974.
Richard Nathanson ‘Walk To The Moon – The Story of Albert Houthuesen’ 1990.
David Buckman ‘Artists In Britain Since 1945’, 2006 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.420-1980 |
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| Record created | August 29, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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