Mid 20th Century Oil Portrait Painting of a Gentleman by Mary Elizabeth Passini

Description

fabulous realistic / impressionist style portrait painting from 1981 of an older gentleman (Richard Fry) in suit and tie by … more fabulous realistic / impressionist style portrait painting from 1981 of an older gentleman (Richard Fry) in suit and tie by noted portrait painter, Mary Elizabeth Passini (oil on canvas) - signed and dated by the artist.

one of a pair of paintings - the portrait of his wife, Katherine is also available (see last photo for a side by side)

Elizabeth Passini was born in Innsbruck in 1911 into a family of notable Austrian painters. Her great, great, great Grandfather, Johann Nepomuk Passini (1798-1874), whose sitters included Franz Schubert, was Court Painter in Vienna. His son, Ludwig Passini (1832-1903) worked in Venice under the patronage of Isabella Stewart Gardner and other wealthy American Collectors. Elisabeth’s cousin, Hans Fronius (1903-1988) became well known in Vienna for his dramatic graphics and illustration, often connected with the theatre. Hans Fronius grew up in Sarajevo and as a young boy witnessed the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his father signed the death certificate.

Elisabeth studied at the Slade School under Reginald Eves and was awarded a prize in Portrait Painting. She also studied at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts, the Central School and St Martins. She was a member of the Pastel Society, Contemporary Portrait Society and a founder member of the Hampstead Artists Council. Her one-man exhibitions included the Everyman Cinema (Hampstead) in 1968 and Camden Arts Centre in 1975.

She was hugely supportive of the Hampstead art scene and regularly took part in the Open Air Exhibitions in Heath Street from the late 1940s and later on the Royal Free Hospital Exhibitions. She taught at the Camden Arts Centre for many years. less