Abigail Molenaar, from our Halls Fine Art in Shrewsbury, believes she has found a portrait by artist Robin Goodwin of the ‘Lady in blue dress’, the mistress of Michael’s (Holroyd) late grandfather, Fraser Holroyd, who caused a scandal when he left his family for her in 1926.

The portrait was listed in the will of Agnes May Beaumont-Thomas and she is believed to have been the sitter.

Michael (Holroyd) wrote a book, ‘Mosaic’, published by Little, Brown in 2004, about his research into the mysterious and elusive femme fatale, who was born Agnes May Bickerstaff in St Helens.

The book is full of revelations and secrets about Agnes May who married three times, disowned her family and constantly changed her family history.

During his painstaking research, Michael discovered that there are two paintings of Agnes May in existence, but he managed to locate only one of them.

“I went in search of her half-length portrait,” wrote Michael. “Robin Goodwin is an elusive painter, though his name is familiar to me. This is because, I remember, in the late 1940s he rented Augustus John’s studio in Tite Street."

“He had begun his professional career at the end of the second world war, taught for a time at the Slade School of Fine Art, did commissioned portraits for the money and sea pictures for love."

“He almost certainly painted Agnes May in the late 1940s or early 1950s, after which time he turned increasingly to marine subjects. The portrait, which was probably commissioned by an admirer, is as much a signpost in her life as her Lalique glass, a present from my grandfather in the 1920s, but I could not find where it pointed, its provenance or whereabouts."

“Somewhere, perhaps, hanging in someone’s home or in a gallery, an oil painting “half-length Portrait of a Lady in blue dress”, still exists. It will have Robin Goodwin’s signature on it, but no mention of the sitter who, in middle age, has finally lost her identity as she always wished, though without gaining another permanent name or recognition for herself.”

Now, due to her own research, Abigail believes she has found the portrait, which has been consigned to a sale of pictures, ceramics and collectables at Halls Fine Art on June 26.

The painting is signed by Robin Goodwin, dated May, 1948 and has the names ‘Mamita’, her nickname and Mrs Beaumont-Thomas, her final married name, on the back.

 

https://www.hallsgb.com/abigails-detective-work-may-have-discovered-missing-painting-for-biographer/