Augustus John & Portraiture

During the 1920s, Augustus John established a reputation for being one of Britain’s leading portrait painters, with an ability to capture not just a pleasing likeness, but also something of the psychology of his sitter. Although later, his interest in painting portraits waned and he often took on commissions only as a way of generating income, which led to a decline in his reputation for such works. However, his ability to capture either in paint, or in chalk, those sitters who interested him, such as family, friends and mistresses remained undiminished. These works resulted in more intimate depictions that exuded a freshness and spontaneity that reflected the affection felt by the artist towards his sitter, as demonstrated by his insightful depictions of his friend, Hugo Pitman and his daughter Jemima.

John’s early training at the Slade, where his tutor Tonks frowned on the use of blending or smudging to create shadow, instilled in the artist an ability to model and capture the interplay of light and shadow through the use of line. John became regarded as the foremost draughtsman of his generation.

The Relationship with the Pitman Family

Jemima's parents, Hugo and Reine Pitman were avid art collectors. They lived in Odstock, not far from Fryern Court, home of Augustus John and Dorelia McNeill, and subsequently became close friends. Over the years, Hugo Pitman formed a collection of John’s work, including Lyric Fantasy, now in Tate Britain. John drew and painted the family on numerous occasions

In 1937, Hugo, as the stockbroker of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, was also instrumental in arranging for Augustus John to paint her portrait. This was not begun though until 1939, and was left unfinished when a bomb dropped on Buckingham Palace.

The Traveller Community

The collection also includes a fifth work by Augustus John, titled An Encampment. John was particularly fascinated by the traveller way of life. For a period, in the first decade of the 20th century and especially after his wife Ida Nettleship's death in 1907, he spent time travelling around the countryside in a caravan with Dorelia McNeill and his young family. John’s paintings and drawings of the period capture the travelling lifestyle, often depicting his own family as well as other figures in outdoor settings, in caravans and encampments, such as the present drawing. 

Between 1901 to 1904, John taught painting at Liverpool University, where he met the renowned scholar and Liverpool University Librarian John Sampson, who introduced the artist to the traveller communities around Liverpool. The artist became fluent in both the English and Welsh dialects of the Romani language. When Sampson died in 1931, John gave the eulogy at the scattering of Sampson’s ashes on Foel Goch, in Romanes. John was elected President of the Gyspy Lore Society in 1937 and remained as such until his death in 1961.

View page turning catalogue

Auction Details

Tuesday 7 July 2026, 3pm BST
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

Bidding is available in person at our salerooms, online, by telephone or you can leave commission (absentee) bids.

Browse the auction
Sign up to email alerts

VIEWING:

• Viewing at Dreweatts London: 16-17 Pall Mall, SW1Y 5LU
  • Tuesday 16 June: 10am-4pm
  • Wednesday 17 June: 10am-7pm
  • Thursday 18 June: 10am-4pm
  • Viewing is also available by appointment from 19 June - 2 July at Dreweatts London. Please contact the department for further details: pictures@dreweatts.com
• Viewing at Dreweatts Newbury: Donnington Priory, RG14 2JE
  • Saturday 4 July: 10am-3pm
  • Sunday 5 July 10am-3pm
  • Monday 6 July: 10am-4pm
  • Tuesday 7 July: 10am-3pm
• Dreweatts 360 Virtual Auction Tour | Take the Virtual Auction Tour
• Dreweatts Remote Viewing Service | Available from Saturday 4 July

Further Information: 
General enquiries: + 44 (0) 1635 553 553 | pictures@dreweatts.com
Press enquiries: press@dreweatts.com