de László, Philip (1869 - 1937) Half-Length Portrait of William Aiken Signed and dated 1932 Oil  Property of a Gentleman Dimensions:  32 in (H) x 26 in (W) Lot Essay: Philip de László was born in Budapest in 1869 and is considered one of Europe's most successful and respected portrait painters. He painted portraits for numerous heads of state (including four American presidents) and members of European royal families. William Aiken, the sitter, was deeply involved with the city of Dundee and was a keen patron of the arts. He became City Chamberlain and served during World War Two as Divisional Food Officer. He was appointed Justice of the Peace, and in 1949 received the Order of the British Empire. His portrait is recorded in the artist's archive, and was executed in a single morning on the 26th July 1932. The swift, expressive brushwork of this portrait concisely captures the personality of its subject with whom the artist had developed a friendship after first meeting him in 1929. It is typical, too, of the artist's portraits of male sitters (such as that of Sir Luke Fildes, held in the National Portrait Gallery, London), in its warm brown and black background, enlivened by the vivid midnight blue of his suit and tie.