A note on Philip de Laszlo and picture framing
by Lynn Roberts

This note was inspired by the exhibition of Philip de Laszlo's work in Christie's Great Rooms, January 2004.

Philip de Laszlo was born in Hungary in 1869. He studied art in Budapest, Paris and Munich, but spent most of his working life in England, from his marriage in 1907 until his death in 1937, becoming a successful and sought-after society portraitist. His first significant commission had been from the Bulgarian royal family in 1894; this was succeeded by work for Pope Leo XIII, the kings of England and Spain, the Kaiser, President Roosevelt, and the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.

We know little in detail about his framing practices, but it is clear that there are several styles of frame associated with his portraits, and that he recommended the framemaker, Emile Remy, whose label appears on at least two of his paintings.

From 1912, and possibly earlier, he was using, or recommending to his clients, a copy of an Italian Renaissance cassetta frame, with small sight and outer gilt mouldings containing a black painted flat or frieze (fig. 1). This appears on five paintings at least, one of which dates from as late as 1929; they include Henry, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne (1920, National Portrait Gallery) and Eileen, 7th Viscountess Stanhope (1921, Chevening). The frieze is decorated with corner panels (if a half-length), or with corner and centre panels (if a full-length), of engraved and gilded foliate ornament, of which there are at least two variant patterns. Copies of a later type of cassetta frame, with more prominent mouldings or even a reverse profile, can also be found on his work; these still retain the engraved decoration, however.

Over much the same period he also used a reproduction Baroque Spanish frame, usually of reverse section which pushes the picture surface forward, towards the spectator, and intensifies the dramatic impact of the painted figure (fig. 2). These frames have a hollow profile, between small-scale outer mouldings and a larger, chunky sight moulding of half-flowers or leaves. The hollow is decorated with characteristically boldly carved corners, or, for full-length pictures, again, centres and corners, of large-petalled rosettes, leaves and volutes. These frames are either gilded overall, or the hollow behind the centres and corners is coloured black; they can be seen on Sir Walter Townley (1911? Foreign Office) and Jerome K. Jerome (1921, National Portrait Gallery). This style may have been chosen because de Laszlo seemed to prefer to show his sitters against a black ground, and since their poses are generally classical and their costumes dramatic, a Spanish setting may have suggested itself. Spanish frames had also been popularized at the beginning of the century by John Singer Sargent and William Orpen.

Other miscellaneous frame patterns are associated with his work: for example, revivals of Louis XIV and Louis XV styles, and English 18th century and neo-classical frames. It is not clear, however, to what extent these may be credited to de Laszlo rather than to his clients. But one other historical type, a gilt ogee Venetian panelled frame (fig. 3) on Sir William Pulteney (1917, National Portrait Gallery), was made by Emile Remy, whose label is also found on the Spanish gilt frame of Jerome K. Jerome. When a portrait by de Laszlo of Victor, 9th Duke of Devonshire (1927-8, Chatsworth) was to be copied twice in 1928 and framed for display in sites associated with the Duke, de Laszlo recommended two framemakers for the job, a Mr Buck, described as a dealer in old frames (F.C. Buck, Fine Art Dealer, of 48, Baker Street), and Emile Remy.

The framemaker, Emile Remy, is known from trade directories to have worked in London from 1904 to 1928. His first workshop was in the King's Road, Chelsea, and he later moved to New King's Road, Parson's Green. He is known to have supplied frames for Sir John Lavery (for instance, the carved Renaissance-style cassetta with a painted arabesque frieze on Sir Lionel Cust, 1912, National Portrait Gallery); he also worked for the dealer, Joseph Duveen, who required carved revival styles of very high quality to satisfy the American market. Remy was chosen by the Duchess of Devonshire to frame the copies of de Laszlo's work, as his prices were 50% cheaper than Buck's. A letter from him in 1928 notes that he would charge £18 each for frames 'with the engraved corners', presumably of the Italian cassetta pattern, adding that 'if it were desired to have centres as well as engraved corners, which considering the size [65 x 43 1/4ins], would make the frames a little more ornate & decorative, this could be done at an extra cost of £3 each frame'. In the event the Duchess selected the pattern with corners and centres at £21 each.

De Laszlo's ideas on picture framing are not well documented. He evidently set great store by the framing of his work; by the 1930s, when his thoughts on art were recorded by his friend, A.L. Baldry, in Painting a Portrait by de Laszlo, he is reported in the dialogue in which the book is couched as saying, 'My clean canvas is now on the easel before me, in its frame'. 'In its frame?' asks Baldry. 'Yes, certainly. I believe that the frame is an integral part of the picture and must be there from the beginning. If it is added at the last moment after the picture is finished there is always the risk that it may not agree with the character of the work.' This was not his invariable practice, however, as the National Portrait Gallery's portrait of Jerome K. Jerome was first framed in one of the Renaissance cassetta frames, before being reframed in a gilt Spanish-style setting. In at least one instance, his portrait of Prince Andrew of Greece, dated 1913, traces of paint are visible on the rebate of the frame itself, suggesting that some work may have been done on this or possibly another canvas whilst in this frame. There are occasional references in de Laszlo's correspondence with his sitters to the framing of his portraits; for example, when a Dutch sitter, Maurits Hubert de Beaufort, wrote to the artist in 1920 reporting that he had ordered a frame to his design.

Sources and further reading: Jacob Simon, The Art of the Picture Frame, National Portrait Gallery, 1996, pp 184-5, fig. 117 (for the Jerome K. Jerome portrait). Correspondence in the Chatsworth archives, kindly communicated by Charles Noble, quoted by permission of the Trustees of the Chatsworth Settlement. A.L. Baldry, Painting a Portrait by de Laszlo, 'How to Do It' Series, The Studio Ltd, 1934, pp 16-18. Tonko Grever, Annemieke Heuft and Sandra de Laszlo, de László in Holland: Dutch masterpieces by Philip Alexius de László, 2006, p.69 (other framing references or illustrations can be found on pp. 36, 41, 56, 64.

Jacob Simon is grateful to Sandra de Laszlo for drawing his attention to the paint on the rebate of the portrait of Prince Andrew of Greece. Sandra de Laszlo is collecting information on labelled de Laszlo frames for the forthcoming de Laszlo catalogue raisonné.

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