John Lavery
Today is Saint Patrick's Day, so let's celebrate this day with a painting created by an Irish painter!
Sir John Lavery (1856–1941) was best known for his portraits and wartime depictions. In January 1921, after months in London overseeing renovations to their home, John and his wife Hazel Lavery escaped to the south of France. There, they likely rendezvoused with the artist’s pupil, Winston Spencer Churchill (yes, THAT Winston Churchill), who was in Nice for a brief holiday with his wife, before Parliament resumed at the end of the month. “The weather is simply divine,” Lavery wrote to his daughter, calling the Riviera “dreamland,” even eclipsing the sunlit days of Tangier. He was soon painting “canvases of sunshine.”
The trip proved exceptionally productive. Lavery painted terraces, coastal views near Beaulieu, the secluded bay of La Mala, and a series of garden scenes at Villa Sylvia on Cap Ferrat. While Hazel socialized and considered renting nearby, Lavery worked steadily, catching the early spring that arrived ahead of the calendar that year.
P.S. See 10 Impressionist paintings for Spring!