A striking and substantial figurative work by St Ives artist John Emanuel (1930-2024), painted in 1992/3 during his mature period at Porthmeor Studios.
Nude (Bather) presents one of the subjects most closely associated with Emanuel's work: the female figure. The reclining body is reduced to broad, flowing forms, constructed through densely worked oil and mixed media. Heavy surface texture, incised marks and strong dark contours are combined with earthy ochres, browns, pale blues and a vivid band of orange. The figure is treated in a semi-abstract manner, with the curves and volumes of the body echoing landscape forms.
Details
Artist: John Emanuel (1930-2024)
Title: Nude (Bather)
Date: 1992/3
Medium: Oil and mixed media on board
Artwork dimensions: 39 × 57 cm (15.4 × 22.4 in)
Framed dimensions: 51 × 70 cm (20.1 × 27.6 in)
Signature / inscriptions: Signed, titled and dated verso; inscribed “2 Porthmeor Studios, St Ives”
Condition: Artwork in very good condition. Light handling wear to original frame.
Porthmeor Studios and St Ives
The inscription on the reverse provides a direct connection between this painting and Emanuel's working life at the historic Porthmeor Studios in St Ives. Emanuel took Studio 2 at Porthmeor in 1982. The 1992/3 date places the work at an important point in his career: he became a founder member of Porthmeor Printmakers in 1992, and in 1993 Tate St Ives commissioned Emanuel and the other members of the group to produce an etching marking the opening of the gallery.
About the Artist
John Emanuel was born in Bury, Lancashire in 1930 and moved to Cornwall in 1964. He did not follow a conventional art-school route, developing through extra-mural study, independent practice and contact with established St Ives artists including John Wells, Denis Mitchell and Alexander Mackenzie.
He was elected to the Penwith Society of Arts in 1968 and was associated with the Newlyn Society of Artists, serving as its chairman in 1977-78. His first solo exhibition was held at Wills Lane Gallery, St Ives in 1975. His work was selected for the Cleveland International Drawing Biennale in 1979 and the Hayward Annual in London in 1982.
In 1990 Emanuel contributed to Ten Etchings, produced to help raise funds for the proposed Tate St Ives. He became a founder member of Porthmeor Printmakers in 1992, participated in the Tate St Ives opening commission in 1993 and conducted workshops at Tate St Ives in 1994. The human figure, particularly the female nude, remained central to his practice, frequently simplified into expressive, sculptural forms with a strong relationship to landscape.
