The Royal Academician Speaks to Katie Mccabe About Painting His Life Story, and Explains Why He’s Never Afraid to Be a Lit Tle Sentimental.
The exhibition is about that one painting [The Fur Coat, ‘Hazana’]; it’s a full size painting of my mother, now dead, alas. It describes her second marriage, to my stepfather, and it has real objects incorporated into the picture: her mink coat, her hat, bag and her silk scarf.
What was your mother like?
She was born into an immigrant French family in London, and she was very cuddly and strikingly kind of pretty without actually being beautiful. She had a rather large nose... She had red lips and very kind brown eyes; she dressed very chicly, in the 1940's and 1950's in the United Kingdom, somebody who dressed with a bit of French flair stood out in a crowd.
Most of your work is intensely personal; you’ve been painting your wife for many years…
Yes, virtually every member of the family! Mary, my wife, is the catalyst that started me off; that is, to paint pictures about something I know, in the sense that you are a world expert about who you are and who you know. You are not Napoleon; you’re just you. It’s about the only thing you’re an expert on: your environment, your close family, friends, enemies, that’s what you’re an expert at. I’m an expert at my little world.
How does your wife, Mary, feel about being a muse for these paintings, does she get involved in the process?
This story is from the February 2017 edition of Artists & Illustrators.
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This story is from the February 2017 edition of Artists & Illustrators.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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