Adrian Ryan Archives | Vanessa Clewes Salmon

Adrian Ryan (1920-1998)

Adrian Ryan (1920-1998) was the most unassuming of painters. His friend Francis Bacon, possibly Britain’s greatest 20th century artist, referred to him as ‘the well-kept secret of the art world.’ He trained at the Slade and enjoyed the friendship and respect of many better-known painters such as Minton, Lanyon and Heron. His biographer Julian Machin says of Ryan, ‘A future that seemed assured and glittering was tainted by the advent of Abstract Expressionism. Although a figurative painter he could never be considered conventional, traditional or fuddy-duddy.’ Although his landscapes have a poetry and magic about them, his favourite subjects were still lifes and the influence of Soutine is evident, in fact, Heron referred to Ryan as ‘the English Soutine.’

Adrian Ryan, Suffolk Elm

19 March, 2017

Adrian Ryan, The House in Corsica

signed by the artist

19 March, 2017