Glyn Philpot
Glyn Philpot was a British artist whose oeuvre charted the development from Edwardian society portraits to a radically modernist style in the 1930s. During his career, he portrayed actors, dancers, poets, society hostesses, male lovers, and friends, through which his important contribution to the sensitive representation of Black sitters from the 1910s to 1930s and his exploration of both queer and religious subjects can be examined. Philpot was incredibly successful; he was one of the highest-paid artists in Britain at the time.
As we can see in today's painting, Philpot was amazing in his informal portraits. He was fascinated by African and Jamaican sitters, whose portraits he painted and sculpted whenever the opportunity arose. This was unusual then. A constant in Philpot’s life from 1929 onwards was his Jamaican servant, Henry Thomas, who was both servant and model, and posed for the artist numerous times.
Philpot was also significant for his open exploration of his own homosexuality through his art, especially in a period when such openness was rare and risky. This aspect of his life is reflected in some of his later works, which include depictions of male figures that carry an intimate and sometimes sensual energy.
Unfortunately, Philpot's career faced challenges as his style evolved. The shift in his artistic approach led to a decline in his popularity towards the end of his life, especially as the British art scene was becoming more conservative in the face of impending war.
P.S. Before the 20th century, Black people were often portrayed in Western art in subservient roles. Learn more about the history of Black models in European art.