Montagu Marks' Work

Here is a draft catalogue of Monty's art. It is not complete. It is pieced together by studying old documents, photographs, letters and press coverage. I have shown images and prints of some of Monty's work and hope to gradually add more. I also hope to add further information about individual works, creating a catalogue raisonné. Where possible I have indicated the year painted or, at least, the "year or earlier" painted. At the end is a list of works where I have not yet got a good fix on the date. I hope all this will be useful to establish provenance. Please contact me if you have corrections, additions or any interesting facts about individual works. It may be of interest that once gramophones were able to produce reasonable sound, whenever he could, Monty painted to the sound classical music, usually Opera.

1910 or earlier

From February 1910 exhibition catalogue of 'Sketches Around Perth'

1. La Soubrette
2. From King's Park
3. Edie & Teddy
4. Nocturne
5. ’Mignonne’
6. Sunshine and Shadow
7. An Impression
8. Perth Water
9. Sand Banks
10. Queen’s Garden
11. Son of Toil
12. Portrait
13. Cottesloe
14. Summer Afternoon
15. The Mill
16. Bush Fire
17. Buckland's Hill
18. Still Life
19. Winter Sunlight
20. Girl's Head
21. The Trees
22. Sky, Land and Trees
23. Princess Bridge, Melbourne
24. Fitzroy Gardens
25. G.P.O. Melbourne
26. The River
27. Shipping on Yarra
28. Landscape
29. Peppermint Grove
30. Beach
31. Midsummer
32. Boats
33. They Labor in Dust and Sun
34. Hyde Park
35. Feeding time
36. Summer Afternoon
37. In The Glooming
38. Yarra at Abbotsford
39. After Rain
40. Studies
41. Roses
42. Landscape

and the following works now being Exhibited at the Manufacturers' Exhibition

Poultry
Japoneries
Vegetables
Cassanova
Portrait of a Man
Portrait of a Women
Portrait of an old Women
Head of a Girl

From the Claude Nicholas Collection at the State Library of Western Australia

Pen Drawing of Two Men: ‘Joke Subject’ donated to the State Library of Western Australia as part of the Claude Nicholas Estate in 1966. (Possibly ‘Edie & Teddy’ from the February 1910 catalogue?)

1910 catalogue of Montague Marks exhibition

Pen drawing of 2 men ‘Joke Subject’, 1910, by Montagu Marks Copyright the artist all rights reserved. From the Claude Nicholas collection of cartoons, drawings and watercolours (3089B/19) Sourced from the collections of the State Library of Western … — Pen drawing of 2 men ‘Joke Subject’, 1910, by Montagu Marks Copyright the artist all rights reserved. From the Claude Nicholas collection of cartoons, drawings and watercolours (3089B/19) Sourced from the collections of the State Library of Western Australia and reproduced with the permission of the Library Board of Western Australia and the Montagu Marks’ Estate.

1911

Nathan Harris (oils). Monty's maternal grandfather

Esther Harris (oils) Monty's maternal grandmother (nee Emily Morrison)

1913 or earlier

From June 1913 Perth Exhibition Catalogue

Lowland Pastures (Hants)
The Barge - River Thames
"His Majesty"
Fog - Trafalgar Square
The Garden Party
The Old Mill
Twilight, Chelsea Embankment (in Summer)
The Winding Path
Rising Moon - Surrey
Sketch Portrait in Charcoal
After the Gale
Arc-de-Triomphe
Mr Justice Rooth
Lady in Black
The Blue Overall (portrait) of Stella
The Purple Veil
Mill Point
Petite Parisienne
The Gathering Fog
Twilight, Cadogan Pier, Chelsea (in Winter)
Gypsies
Potterhiem
Misty Veil - River Thames
The Tattler
Charcoal Study
Twilight - Chelsea Bridge
The Miracle - Ballet Scene
Study of a Youth
Sketch Portrait
Arc-de-Triomphe (sketch)
South Downs - Sussex
Regatta Day
The Hay Rick
Sketch Portrait in Charcoal

From 10 September 1913, The West Australian

Charcoal Portrait of, Sir Harry Barron, Governor of Western Australia

from 'australasians who count in london and who counts in western australia', by Leonard matters, published by jas truscott & son, 1913

From a book published in 1913

C.W. Pearsall (portrait). Of Trinity College Cambridge
Lady Moore (portrait)
Mrs. Shandwell Clarke (portrait)
Mrs. Herber Bailey and children (portrait)

The Old Mill, Perth. Circa 1913 Copyright Montagu Marks Estate, All rights reserved,

1914

From 17 May 1914, The Sunday Times, Perth, Western Australia

The New Hat “extraordinarily suggestive of that dainty flower [a pansy]. It is a girl's figure from the waist up. The arms and shoulders are bare and on the bead is a soft hat, which is a delicate and exquisite bit of coloring. The crown is golden yellow with a satin texture, the under brim is black and there is an effective touch of red in the loose drapery below the bust. The face turned sideways, the touches of color, and the whole composition is "a pansy". Purchased by a local connoisseur
Red and Gold a “striking canvas….it shows a lady in her diaphanous drapery and wraps, seated on her return from a dance. At first, the rich coloring attracts the eye, and then an alien shadow seems to obscure the face and give it a heavy appearance; but this is explained by the fact that the picture was really sketched out and painted under the electric light, with the dawn just breaking and throwing the shade on to the features. Altogether it is bold brushwork, strong in effects, though somewhat Oriental in result.”
Tree from the Bush in Nedlands (watercolor) attributed to Montagu Marks and assumed 1914. Private collection.

1915

Lady in Green (oils). Portrait of Stella

'Lady in Green' after a portrait of Stella Marks by Montagu Marks. Copyright the artist all rights reserved

1918 or earlier

The Gum Tree (watercolour)
Two drawings that were at the National Gallery of Victoria. Two of his youthful studies “are still in the National Art Gallery (Melbourne)" [source: 9 December 1937 ‘Film Weekly’ and 14 December 1937 ‘The Exhibitors Monthly’ (page 8). Also 29 August 1962 letter from Monty to Cliff Harris [According to the family word-of-mouth one of these was a drawing of hands]

Part of 'Gum Tree'. Watercolour by Montagu Marks Copyright all rights reserved. Private Collection.

1924

Pat and Stella, a winter scene (oils) Painted in Long Island. Private Collection.

1958

Eileen Joyce (oils). The Australian-born pianist, who moved to Western Australia as a child and whose career started in Perth. From Biro drawings sketched on the back of The Royal Air Force 50 Anniversary Concert program live at the Royal Albert Hall. (She must have been playing Chopin since her gown was green). She was a friend and admirer of Monty's work and had bought 5 of his paintings. [source: 14 November 1961 Monty’s letter to Cliff Harris]. She famously played Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 for the soundtrack of the film Brief Encounter.
Michael Parker (oils) Monty's friend and Australian compatriot. He had been Private Secretary to The Duke of Edinburgh.
Trees in Snow, 1958 (oils). 51 x 61 cm, dated 1958 on the back of the canvas. Private Collection

Aileen Joyce performing at the Royal Albert Hall: The Royal Air Force, 50 Anniversary Concert, 1 April 1958. Oil painting by Montagu Marks all rights reserved. Private Collection.

Trees In Snow, 1958. Landscape in oil (51 x 61 cm) by montagu marks. copyright 1958. Private collection.

1959

Maureen O'Hara (oils) 1959. Irish-American actress and friend.

1959?

Maureen O'Hara with Rose (oils). Probably painted at the same time as the above portrait of Maureen O'Hara dated 1959.

Maureen o'hara portrait by montagu marks, Circa 1959. copyright montagu marks Estate. all rights reserved. Private Collection.

Some other works not yet dated....

Sir Alexander Korda (oils). Founder of London Films Productions.
Film Producer in Green Hat (oils)
'Gin drinker' (oils)
Tropical Jungle (oils). A pair of paintings.
Trees at Schloss Kalbeck (watercolour)
5 paintings that were owned by his friend, Eileen Joyce [source: 14 November 1961 Monty’s letter to Cliff Harris]
Wall silks at Schloss Kalbeck (watercolour on silk)
Wall silks at Norton Court (watercolour on silk). Now dispersed.
‘A Polo Game’ - two versions (watercolour on silk). Depicts traditional a Chinese or Mongolian game. One in the private collection of H.R.H. Prince Philip [source: 14 November 1961 and 27 March 1963 letters from Monty to Cliff Harris]
The Clown (character portrait)
Indoo Shivdasani (oils). Founder of the Inlaks Group and the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation.
Lakshmi Shivdasani (oils). Wife of Indoo Shivdasani
Monkeys (watercolour on silk)
Spanish Landscape (oils) in the collection of Sandra Harris Ramini (Monty’s 2nd Cousin)
Spanish windows (etching)
Bullfighter (etching)
Many other landscapes (watercolours on paper and silk, oils, drawings and etchings). I plan to catalogue and eventually date them.
Pen drawing of 2 men. (Sketch 26x28cms no mount). Original MN notes “Pen drawing, joke subject, Montagu Marks, ’10. J S Battye Library of West Australian History Pictorial Collection – Collection Listing Claude Nicholas collection of cartoons, drawings and watercolours.
Old Australian Man (charcoal sketch) Private collection.