Lot 230: A New York neighbourhood

A New York neighbourhood signed and dated 'Fanny Holtzmann '48' (lower left) oil on canvas 61 x 76cm (24 x 29 15/16in).

61x 76cm

Gifted to Sir Noel Coward by the artist Gifted to Graham Payn by Sir Noel Coward Acquired by the present owner 1973

The following three lots were presented to English playwright, composer, actor and singer Sir Noel Coward (16 December 1899 - 26 March 1973) by American artist Fanny Holtzmann (1902 - 1980). Holtzmann, as well as being an artist, was also a pioneering female lawyer in the motion picture and theatre industry numbering Edmund Goulding and William Randolph Hearst among her first clients. In 1934, Holtzmann gained international fame during a libel trial in London where her client, Princess Irina Alexandrovna of Russia, was awarded $125,000 in damages. During the Second World War, Holtzmann helped Eastern European Jews to immigrate to the United States. Once the war was over, she continued to assist Jewish refugees and in 1945, was present at the founding conference of the United Nations. Coward first met Holtzmann through his close friend, actress Gertrude Lawrence (July 4, 1898 – September 6, 1952). Already Lawrence's lawyer, Holtzmann was soon employed by Coward to sort out his financial affairs which had been badly handled for the last 20 years. It was on one of his many trips to New York, probably during the 1950s, that Holtzmann presented Coward with the three paintings offered here. It is known that Coward admired Holtzmann's work, writing in his diary in October 1947, 'she paints like mad and obviously has considerable, uncontrolled talent'. The works were then likely to have been taken back to London where Coward's secretary, Lorne Lorraine stored them until her death in 1967. After this date they were brought to Milner Street until they were acquired by the present owner in 1973.