John BRATBY, RA (1928-92)

John Bratby - an Enigma
My correspondence with John during the late 80's and early 90's had an unreal dimension. On average, I would receive, and reply to, five or six letters from him every week and I also have hundreds of photographs of new ideas and projects upon which he was working - he was really prolific. One of the last letters I received, shortly before he died, contained an insight deeper than most, he wrote "the REAL me works like a steam train, has a creative daemon on his back, and has painted TEN 4 foot x 3 foot oils since I last saw you (we met regularly). He is reclusive, anti-social, pathologically shy and cannot stop working. The only way he can escape his 'work prison'is to go out and have a Campari (a joke we shared - Campari & soda was my favourite aperitif and it was a fashionable drink in the 70's and 80's)...."There is work, gardening - he had a real passion for flowers - especially sunflowers and dahlias, - sitting in the sun, watching hours of TV" "When we go to Venice we befriend lots of people, from all walks of life, football players from the Bronx, American ice-hockey players. Sometimes we take them by launch to terrace meals at the Gritti Palace Hotel". (He and Patti often went to Venice for several weeks at a time.) He continued "but the REAL me is as I am now. Lying in bed at 8a.m., getting ready to work before breakfast." So this was the way in which this single-minded man prepared for his average, frenetic, working day. Our patrons were indeed lucky having the chance to see this collection before it was fragmented.
Once regarded as the "enfant terrible" of the artistic establishment, John was elected ARA at 20, then RA at 42. When he died, aged 64 and one day, he had the distinction of having more work in world-wide collections, especially Museums and Public Galleries , than most other living artists.

Noel Oddy, Highgate Fine Art, January 2002
Copyright www.oddyart.com 2004
Summer show Part 2 - 2001
A group of oils by John Bratby(1928-92).
The earliest work is a magnificent "Stag" painted in 1962 ( 48 x 36inches ), it has the Sickertian tones that Bratby was using at the time.

Secondly a good Self-portrait (1965) so typical of his mid-60's output (51 x 24 ins). A great Portrait of Gloria Bishop, one of a well-documented series painted 1965 - a striking 72 x 24 ins canvas.

Finally, one of his large Sunflowers - 1979 and two Venetian Oils from the mid-80's, - Thomas Mann's Journey ( Death in Venice) 48 x 36 also "Gondola" 48 x 30.(from Rialto Bridge)

Noel Oddy

Paintings