John Frye Bourne (British 1912-1991)

The Lacrosse Girl, 1950
signed 'JF Bourne' (lower right)
oil on canvas
124 x 69cm

Born in Hampstead in 1912, John Frye Bourne’s childhood was blighted by recurring bouts of sickness. During his frequent periods of convalescence, however, Bourne spent his time learning to paint and draw and by the age of 16, he was accepted to study at the Royal Academy – the institution’s youngest student since J. M. W. Turner was admitted in 1790, aged 14. After his early training, Bourne continued to paint throughout his lifetime and, during the mid-20^th century, became a popular portrait artist amongst fashionable circles.

Depicting Kay Sanders, a student at St. George’s School, Harpenden, the present lot is typical of Bourne’s nostalgic and idealised renderings of mid-century English culture.

Condition Report

Oil on canvas which has been lined. The canvas is in plane with good tension. The paint layer is in a stable condition. At the lower right corner is an area of old loss which has been stabilised. There are localised areas of retouching, mainly located in the lower half. The thin varnish layer is clear, even and glossy. There are a few spots of mould across the surface.