Becoming Gustav Metzger: Uncovering The Early Years, 1945-59

This thickly painted portrait was commissioned by its subject, Ernest Royalton-Kisch, the solicitor who facilitated Metzger’s grants from the Haendler Trust to support his attendance at the Sir John Cass Institute, the Borough Polytechnic and various other art schools, and a frequent sitter. Although rejected by Royalton-Kisch after completion, this portrait was included in Metzger’s retrospective exhibition at the Temple Gallery, London in 1960, before later joining the attic hoard. It is notable that the artist framed each of the paintings exhibited there with a simple wooden strip tacked to each edge of the work. No other paintings by Metzger show evidence of framing.