Mr and Mrs L.F.M.

In 1968, rookie art dealer Peter McLeavey commissioned Toss Woollaston to paint a portrait of his parents.

McLeavey’s initial response to the portrait was one of shock – and recognition. ‘Toss had captured something of the dynamic in their marriage. The painting is dominated by my father’s presence, his big head, but it’s my mother with her downcast face who is the powerful one.’

Working with a luminous yet restrained palette, Woollaston suggests the forceful personalities of his subjects. The surface of the portrait is enlivened by the fluent, vigorous brushwork, applied with a minimum of repainting.