A sampling of artwork contained in Orson Welles Portfolio: Sketches and Drawings from the Welles Estate. (Courtesy of Beatrice Welles)
By RAY KELLY
Orson Welles Portfolio: Sketches and Drawings from the Welles Estate puts the artwork of the legendary filmmaker in the hands of his fans, something that pleases his youngest daughter, as well as the book’s author.
The forthcoming portfolio offers a trove of Welles paintings and drawings, the vast majority unseen by the general public and held since his death in 1985 by his youngest daughter, Beatrice. The book’s illuminating text was written by Simon Braund (The Greatest Movies You’ll Never See: Unseen Masterpieces by the World’s Greatest Directors).
“Broadly speaking, my role was to research and write the text that places the artwork in the context of Welles’ life and career,” Braund explained. “I attempted, hopefully with some success, to spice that up with anecdotes, quotes — usually from Beatrice — and the odd bit of critical commentary/informed conjecture. I was somewhat involved in identifying the artwork, although that was mostly done by my editor, Jo Boylett, with input from Beatrice and, later, (filmmaker) Mark Cousins, who wrote the Foreword. I also did the interview with Beatrice that forms the book’s Introduction.”
Welles, who briefly studied at the Art Institute of Chicago as a youth, traveled and painted throughout the Irish countryside at the age of 16 in 1931. After his stage success at the Gate Theatre Dublin, Welles embarked on a career as an actor and director. But Welles continued to draw and paint throughout his life, for his own private pleasure.
The 300 images touch upon Welles’ stage plays (Too Much Johnson, Five Kings), motion pictures (Macbeth, The Trial), television appearances (The Orson Welles Show pilot, Omnibus’ King Lear), and personal life (wife Paola Mori, travel sketches). There are also stunning paintings of a Matador and St. George Slaying the Dragon, and quite a few wicked self-portraits.
Beatrice Welles provided most of the book’s artwork, the exceptions being illustrations for Paris Vogue and Everybody’s Shakespeare that have been included in Orson Welles Portfolio, Braund said.
Curating the artwork in a book allows Welles fans worldwide a greater opportunity to view it than if it was “just put away in some library,” his daughter said.
Orson Welles Portfolio: Sketches and Drawings from the Welles Estate (Titan Books)
The 192-page tome, published by Titan Books, arrives in stores on February 19, just a few weeks ahead of the U.S. release of Cousins’ film The Eyes of Orson Welles, an acclaimed documentary that examine Welles drawings and his work as a visual artist.
“This wasn’t planned,” Beatrice Welles noted, “for once, luck was on our side.”
Braund and Beatrice Welles each have their personal favorites.
“My favorite is probably the sketch of himself and Kermit the Frog smoking cigars, a thank-you note to Jim Henson for appearing on his TV show,” Braund said. “The illustrations for the edition of Paris Vogue he guest edited in the early ’80s are terrific – full of mischief and merciless self-parody. The set designs and costume sketches are also fascinating, particularly those for Chimes at Midnight. They’re typically economical but extremely vivid and action-packed.”
For Beatrice Welles, two of her favorites pieces are linked to her father’s movies – an oil painting depicting Don Quixote and Sancho Panza he created in Madrid in 1959 and an abstract that reflects the hurt and anger he felt after Universal Pictures locked him out of the editing of Touch of Evil.
“Don Quixote is one of my favorites for sentimental reasons because it is Don Quixote,” she said. “[Abolishment], the abstract from Touch of Evil, is my favorite. It was one of the worst times of his life. I love the painting – but not what he went through.”
Orson Welles Portfolio includes a sampling of the Christmas cards crafted by Welles and attached to gifts given to Beatrice Welles; her mother, Paola Mori Welles; and her maternal grandmother.
“Every year on Christmas Eve, he would stay up all night drawing and painting these Christmas cards,” Beatrice Welles recalled. “Each present had a handmade card from him.”
The documentary The Eyes of Orson Welles and the publication of Orson Welles Portfolio may not be the only present for Welles fans interested in his artwork.
Beatrice Welles teased a related project is in the offing.
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