Portrait of Professor Anthony Blunt reading
- Artist: Peter Foldes (Artists)
- Date: 1947
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the “Portrait of Professor Anthony Blunt reading” by Peter Foldes (Artists). Painted in 1947, the work is a striking oil on canvas that captures a quiet moment of intellectual focus. Foldes uses a restrained palette, with subtle earthy tones that bring the professor’s lined face and the soft folds of his clothing into sharp relief. The brushwork is smooth yet expressive, lending the portrait a gentle, almost lyrical quality that feels at once contemporary and timeless.
The setting is implied rather than fully rendered – a muted background suggests an interior, perhaps a study, with the light falling softly across the face and the open book. Foldes pays close attention to the gesture of the hand resting on the page, giving us a sense of the scholar’s concentration. The subject’s profile is framed in a way that invites the viewer into his world of books and ideas.
In the context of the late‑1940s, this portrait reflects a return to figurative painting after the war, a period when artists sought to restore normalcy through realistic depiction. Foldes’ choice to render Blunt in a calm, contemplative pose underscores a broader cultural yearning for intellectual recovery. Overall, the piece offers a quietly compelling portrait that balances technical skill with an intimate glimpse into the life of a distinguished academic.
See it in person
Portrait of Professor Anthony Blunt reading hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
