The William Roberts Society

William Roberts:

Portrait of Slade Model

Illustration © The Estate of John David Roberts. Reproduced with the permission of the William Roberts Society. Catalogue information based on the catalogue raisonné by David Cleall. For this and full details of the exhibitions cited, see the links below.

Portrait of Slade Model (aka Portrait of an Old Man), date unknown – suggest 1912
Oil on canvas, 46 cm x 35.5 cm

Signed and inscribed 'A slade model who sat as a young man for Millais Speak! Speak!' on the reverse. The subject was 'an old grey-haired Italian model, who as a young man had posed for Millais' painting, entitled "Speak, Speak!" [1895]. He was very proud of this, and would tell the students "Me, Speak, Speak"' – Roberts, Early Years, p. 12.
PROVENANCE: Guy Eccles > Sotheby's 3 Nov. 1982 > ? > Sotheby's 18 March 2008 (estimate £4,000–£6,000, unsold)