Lot 358: Sir Claude Francis Barry (1883-1970), full length portrait of Mary Marshall,

Sir Claude Francis Barry (1883-1970), full length portrait of Mary Marshall, oil on board, 60" x 51", Paris Salon label on reverse, to be sold with a copy of the original catalogue "La Revue Moderne, 1st September 1965" (This picture is illustrated on page 5) and with two hand-written letters from Barry the envelopes post-marked 31/10/63 and 4/4/64. " You stole the show with your great beauty and glorious voice. Your attraction is very disturbing to any man who sees you, you know I often dream about you - you know your beauty is not just physical the beauty of your character shines in your face - artists know these things Mary"; the second letter finishes "Do you know you are one of the loveliest girls in the World." Also included in the sale are a copy of a photograph of her wearing the dress in the painting and a Columbia Records postcard.

Sir Claude Francis Barry was born 125 years ago into a rich family whose wealth was based on heavy industry. But he had a troubled childhood after the death of his mother when he was two and his father's subsequent re-marriage in 1893. In 1905 he went to live in St Ives. Barry was a pacifist and was any way exempted from military service; he did not fight in the First World War. From about 1905, he exhibited his pointilistic works at the Royal Academy and elsewhere. Between the Wars he became renowned for his etchings and spent much of his time on the Continent returning to St Ives in 1939. Most of his etching plates were stored in Milan and were destroyed by a bomb in 1944. After the War he left Cornwall to live on Jersey. It is during this period that he painted many of his portraits including this one.

Provenance; This portrait is sent in for sale by the sitter. Mary Marshall knew the artist well and he had great admiration for her as a singer. She was born in Bolton and was a solo artiste with Columbia in the 1950's. For a short time she was a member of a group "The Three Shades". She moved from her recording company and accepted a contract to perform in the Channel Islands for impresario Sydney James, where she caused an unprecedented sensation; they were married in 1960 and settled in Guernsey.
Mary continued in Sydney's Olde Tyme Music Hall shows and cabarets for many years having had two daughters. She retired in 1979 and remains in Guernsey today having remarried after her husband's death in 1985.