London Group of 1980

About the artist

The London Group was formed in 1913 by artists including Walter Sickert, Jacob Epstein, Wyndham Lewis, David Bomberg and Henri Gaudier Brzeska who were tired of the stuffiness of the Royal Academy of the day and decided to set up an association that would exhibit the work of the up and coming generation. The London Group maintains its collective tradition today and has around 100 members working in all artistic disciplines.

This series of portraits was created informally by leading members of The London Group in 1980 while they were preparing the Group’s annual exhibition. It includes work by Stan Smith (then president of the Group), John Bellany (vice-president), Albert Irvin, Jesse Watkins, Cyril Reason, Barry Martin, and Adrian Bartlett, who co-ordinated the project.

While they were having a boozy lunch in the Tower pub on Westminster Bridge Road, Bartlett came up with the idea that they make portraits of each other that could be easily reproduced.  He duly supplied each of them with an etching plate and left them to choose who they would portray.

The etchings have never been published as a full limited edition. Only a very small number of artist’s proofs have been made from the original plates by Adrian Bartlett. Adrian was director of the Morley gallery where the show was held; he later became president of the London Group. 

Also shown here: a the poster created by John Bellany for the London Group’s show two years later in 1982, and a large format ink portrait of Stan Smith by John Bellany.