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Philip de László child portraits Raymond P. Johnson-Ferguson Lang
László: Commissioned Works of Children--Raymond P. Johnson-Ferguson (1913?- )
Figure 1.-- All of these commissioned portraits of boys show them in blouses giving thenm a rather poetic look as the outfits and the thin book seems to remind one of Lord Byron. We do not know if this is what László had in mind, but think it is unlikely all the parents had the same idea. All of these portraits show boys in blouses, rather fancy blouses worn open. The portrait here shows Raymonmd wearing a blue velvet jacket over the blouse and what may be a tan vest along with a fancy jabot. Another portrait of Raymond a couple years earlier shows him wearing the blouse open. Click on the image to see the earlier potrtrait.
We have been unable to find any information about Raymond and his family. All we know for sure that László painted the portrait in 1923. We believe that Raymond is connected to the Johnson-Ferguson Baronetcy, of Springkell in the County of Dumfries, of Kenyon in Newchurch-in-Culcheth in the County Palatine of Lancaster and of Wiston in the County of Lanark. The Baronetcy was created in 1906 for Edward Johnson-Ferguson. He was Chairman of Jabez Johnson, Hodgkinson and Pearson, Ltd, and also sat as Liberal Member of Parliament for Loughborough. He was born Edward Johnson but assumed by Royal licence the additional surname of Ferguson (1881). All of these commissioned portraits of boys show them in blouses giving thenm a rather poetic look as the outfits and thin book seems to remind one of Lord Byron. We do not know if this is what László had in mind, but think it is unmlikely all the psrents had the same idea. All of these portraits show boys in blouses, rather fancy blouses worn open. The portrait here shows Raymonmd wearing a blue velvet jacket over the blouse and what may be a tan vest along with a fancy jabot. Another portrait of Raymond a couple years earlier shows him wearing the blouse open. We are not sure about the clothing choices here. The boys are about the same age and painted at about the same time. These blouses are what the boys at the time would have worn for formal occassions like weddngs, but not for casual wear. He is holding a book which also dies not quite fit the outfit, but Charles Lang also seems to be holding the same book. This was a posing device.
