The upcoming Decorative Fair in Battersea Park, 24-29 April will bring a rare opportunity to see and acquire works of Brian Julian Stonehouse – one of the most sought after painters and fashion illustrators with the most unusual biography. Group of fashion illustrations by Brian Julian Stonehouse MBE (8 August 1918-2 December 1998), British painter and Special Operations Executive agent during World War II, will be on display during the fair at “Gray Modern & Contemporary Art”.
Born in Torquay, his family moved to France when he was small, but came back to England in 1932, when he attended the Ipswich School of Art, and started his career as an artist.
When World War II started, he joined the TA, was conscripted in to the Royal Artillery, then due to his fluency in French, he was recruited to Special Operations and he was parachuted in to Occupied France as a spy.
Later that year his luck ran out and he was captured. He remained in POW camps in France and Germany till the end of the war, probably saving his own life by drawing sketches for the camp commandant, guards and their families.
After 1946, Stonehouse continued his career as a fashion artist, going to the USA to paint for magazines like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Elizabeth Arden. In 1979, he returned to Britain and became a portrait painter. His clients included members of the Royal family. One of his last portraits of The Queen Mother, who sat for him many times, still hangs in the Special Forces Club in London.
Other fashion artists for sale include:
Ernst Dryden (1930-50s) -prices around £1200
Jane Hartley (contemporary) – prices around £600
Brian Julian Stonehouse – prices around £900
The Decorative Fair in Battersea Park, 24-29 April www.decorativefair.com
LAPADA The Association of Art & Antiques Dealers www.lapada.org
