Image number: RS.9707

    Portrait of Howard Walter Florey

    Date
    1965
    Sitter
    Howard Walter Florey, Baron Florey of Adelaide and Marston (1898 - 1968, Australian) , Pathologist
    Creator
    Henry Marvell Carr (1894 - 1970, British) , Painter
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (painting): 1272mm
    width (painting): 1019mm
    Subject
    Description
    Three quarter length portrait of Howard Florey, seated and wearing an academic gown (black and red) over dark blue suit, white shirt and blue spotted tie. A yellow curtain hangs behind the sitter and to the upper left, the Royal Society’s coat of arms.

    Howard Florey was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1941, he served as its President from 1960 to 1965.
    Transcription
    Henry Carr 65
    Henry Carr 6 Avenue Studios Sydney Close, SW3 Lord Florey OM.
    James Bourlet & Sons Ltd., Frame makers and packers Pictures relined, cleaned & varnished. Artist [typed addition] Henry Carr ARA Ref no.27151
    769 RS
    Wellcome Meeting Room Grd
    Glass RS
    Object history
    Commissioned by the Royal Society, 1965.

    The commissioning of this portrait was first raised in Library Committee during 1964: “The Chairman [Andrade] was invited to discuss with the President the choice of an artist to paint the Presidential portrait”. [Minutes of the Library Committee of the Royal Society, CMB/47/6 [CMB/296b], meeting of 30 June 1964, p.70]. By April 1965 sittings were under way, as a letter from E.N.da C. Andrade in Florey’s papers indicates: “Dear Howard, I hope that the first sitting went off well and that you like Carr...” [Letter, Edward Neville da Costa Andrade, 17 April 1965, to Howard Florey, Royal Society Archives, Florey Papers, HF/1/19/7/29/24 [98HF/221/3/24]. Andrade reported the choice of artist and his acceptance of the commission to the Library Committee’s next meeting in July 1965 [Minutes of the Library Committee of the Royal Society, CMB/47/6 [CMB/296b], meeting of 5 July 1965, p.72] and the completed portrait was unveiled by Andrade on 30 November 1965. [Minutes of the Library Committee of the Royal Society, CMB/47/6 [CMB/296b], meeting of 5 July 1965, p.74].
    Associated place
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