John Bratby

"When are you going to stop drawing Dad?"

"When are you going to stop drawing Dad?" by John Bratby

Artwork Detail

Bratby is best known for his large format, heavily impasted portraits of celebrities, but he also made many likenesses of his wives, children and friends. This rough sketch captures his eldest son David, then aged about 7. He is perched on the edge of a chair, the buckles of his shoes undone, as if waiting for his father to do them up and take him out. David’s bored expression is reinforced by the title, which reveals the frustration of constantly having to sit still for an artist – not an easy thing for a child. (Intimate Portraits, 2005)

Title
"When are you going to stop drawing Dad?"
Artist/creator
John Bratby
Production date
1962
Medium
conte crayon
Dimensions
1720 x 770 mm
Credit line
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of the Artist, 1984
Accession no
1984/12/10
Copyright
Copying restrictions apply
Department
International Art
Display status
Not on display

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