Keith Vaughan

© National Portrait Gallery, London

 Like voting
is closed

Thanks for Liking

Please Like other favourites!
If they inspire you please support our work.

Buy a print Buy a greetings card Make a donation

Keith Vaughan

by Ida Kar
2 1/4 inch square film negative, 1960
Purchased, 1999
Photographs Collection
NPG x132967

Sitterback to top

  • Keith Vaughan (1912-1977), Painter. Sitter in 16 portraits, Artist or producer of 1 portrait.

Artistback to top

  • Ida Kar (1908-1974), Photographer. Artist or producer associated with 1567 portraits, Sitter in 137 portraits.

Linked publicationsback to top

  • Freestone, Clare (appreciation) Wright, Karen (appreciation), Ida Kar Bohemian Photographer, 2011 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 10 March to 19 June 2011), p. 93 Read entry

    Vaughan never received formal artistic training, but developed his talent while working in advertising for Unilever. His work was influenced by Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso and Gauguin, and the themes of landscape and the male nude dominated his paintings throughout his career. During the Second World War, unlike a number of his contemporaries who became war artists, Vaughan was a conscientious objector. The first exhibition of Vaughan's drawings was held in 1942 at the Reid and Lefèvre Gallery in London. During the 1940s and 1950s he taught at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts, the Central School of Arts and Crafts and the Slade School of Fine Art. Predominantly a private artist, Vaughan received few public commissions, although recognition of his status in British art was shown by the commissioning of a mural for the Festival of Britain in 1951. Kar photographed Vaughan in his Hampstead flat when he was developing a looser and more abstract style, two years before his retrospective exhibition at the Whitechapel Art Gallery.

Placesback to top

Portrait setback to top

Subjects & Themesback to top

Events of 1960back to top

Current affairs

Prince Andrew is born, the third child of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip.
The Contraceptive Pill is introduced in England, dramatically changing the nation's approach to sex and relationships, and significantly contributing to the 1960s culture of liberation.

Art and science

Penguin books defend D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover against charges of obscenity by demonstrating that the novel was of literary merit. The 'not guilty' verdict was seen as a victory for free speech and marked the beginning if a new era of liberalism.
The satirical revue Beyond the Fringe launches the careers of Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Jonathan Miller.

International

Harold Macmillan delivers his 'wind of change' speech to the South African Parliament in Cape Town, announcing Britain's decision to grant independence to many of her colonies. The speech recognised the emergence of African nationalism, and criticised the policy of Apartheid in South Africa.

Comments back to top

We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.

If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.