(William) Miles Malleson
© National Portrait Gallery, London
(William) Miles Malleson
by Hans Schwarz
oil on board, 1959
49 3/4 in. x 27 in. (1262 mm x 685 mm)
Given by Bridget Coddington, 1989
Primary Collection
NPG 6068
Sitterback to top
- (William) Miles Malleson (1888-1969), Actor, dramatist and stage director. Sitter in 9 portraits.
Artistback to top
- Hans Schwarz (1922-2003), Painter; sculptor; illustrator; author. Artist or producer of 14 portraits, Sitter in 3 portraits.
This portraitback to top
Schwarz painted him as Canon Chasuble in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, a role he played both in the film (1952) and on stage at the Old Vic (1959).
Linked publicationsback to top
- Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 407
Events of 1959back to top
Current affairs
Harold Macmillan wins the general election with an increased majority, returning to office as Conservative prime minister. The victory was the result of perceived economic improvement under the Conservative government, and his (misquoted) boast: 'you've never had it so good.' During his premiership he earned the nickname 'Supermac', coined by cartoonist, Victor 'Vicky' Weisz.Art and science
Claudia Jones organises the first West Indian-style carnival in the country, starting the tradition of the annual Notting Hill carnival. The event was a response to the race riots of 1958, and an attempt to celebrate West Indian culture and help overcome racial prejudice by giving the whole community the opportunity to join in the event.International
Fidel Castro becomes leader of Cuba. After defeating the American-backed Batista government, Castro's revolutionary army arrived in Havana on 8th January where Castro proclaimed himself Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Within a month, Prime Minister José Miró Cardona had resigned, and Castro took over.In Tibet, an uprising against Chinese rule is brutally crushed, and the Dalai Lama flees to India, beginning his long exile.
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