Dimensions: support: 508 x 609 mm
Copyright: © The estate of Derek Hill | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: This portrait of Sir Frederick Ashton, by Derek Hill, captures him in these warm, earthy tones. What do you see in this portrait? Curator: The earth tones evoke a sense of groundedness, don't they? Ashton's gaze, averted yet intense, suggests a deep well of inner creativity. Does the colouration remind you of anything? Editor: It makes me think of sepia-toned photographs, almost like a memory. Curator: Precisely! It creates a sense of looking back, perhaps at a celebrated past or a personal history held within. The unfinished quality, the visible brushstrokes, add to this feeling of a memory being formed. Editor: It's fascinating how a portrait can embody so much more than just a likeness. Curator: Indeed, it's a vessel for cultural memory.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/hill-sir-frederick-ashton-t03888
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Hill succeeded in combining a solitary existence in County Donegal with a reputation for a dazzling social life in London. His landscapes are boldly naturalistic, while his portraits depict many of the major figures in the London arts scene. This painting of Sir Frederick Ashton (1904-1988), then Director of the Royal Ballet, was the outcome of a 'vague arrangement' rather than a formal commission. Hill recounted that Sir Frederick had chosen not to buy it, saying in dismay, 'Oh, I hoped you'd make me look beautiful.' He later regretted his decision. Hill sold the painting to Sir Colin Anderson and it subsequently passed to Tate. Gallery label, August 2004
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