John Michael Wishart (June 12, 1928 – June 29, 1996) known as Michael Wishart, was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

figurative painter who spent most of his career in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, America and North Africa. A friend of

Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Alban (; 22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626), also known as Lord Verulam, was an English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon led the advancement of both ...

and

Lucian Freud Lucian Michael Freud (; 8 December 1922 – 20 July 2011) was a British painter and draughtsman, specialising in figurative art, and is known as one of the foremost 20th-century English portraitists. He was born in Berlin, the son of Jewis ...

, he published a memoir in 1977 entitled ''High Diver'' (in French ''Le Saut de l'ange''), which caused a scandal with its description of his

bohemian lifestyle Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people and with few permanent ties. It involves musical, artistic, literary, or spiritual pursuits. In this context, bohemians may be wanderers, a ...

Biography

Born on June 12, 1928, in the London borough of St Pancras, Wishart was the first son of Ernest Wishart (1902–1987), co-founder of the Marxist publishing house

Lawrence and Wishart Lawrence & Wishart is a British publishing company formerly associated with the Communist Party of Great Britain. It was formed in 1936, through the merger of Martin Lawrence, the Communist Party's press, and Wishart Ltd, a family-owned Left-wing ...

, and of Lorna Garman (1911–2000), future model and mistress of the painter Lucian Freud. His godmother was the collector

Peggy Guggenheim Marguerite "Peggy" Guggenheim ( ; August 26, 1898 – December 23, 1979) was an American art collector, bohemian and socialite. Born to the wealthy New York City Guggenheim family, she was the daughter of Benjamin Guggenheim, who went down wi ...

, and his step-sister Yasmin was the daughter of Laurie Lee. Raised in Sussex, he studied at

Bedales School Bedales School is a co-educational, boarding and day independent school in the village of Steep, near the market town of Petersfield in Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1893 by John Haden Badley in reaction to the limitations of conven ...

, at the

Central School of Arts and Crafts The Central School of Art and Design was a public art school, school of fine arts, fine and applied arts in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1896 by the London County Council as the Central ...

in London and at the Anglo-French Art School in St. John's Wood, where he was taught by

Óscar Domínguez Óscar M. Domínguez (3 January 1906 – 31 December 1957) was a Spanish surrealist painter. Biography Born in San Cristóbal de La Laguna on the island of Tenerife, on the Canary Islands Spain, Domínguez spent his youth with his grandmother ...

, Antoni Clavé,

Jean Lurçat Jean Lurçat (; 1 July 1892 – 6 January 1966) was a French artist noted for his role in the revival of contemporary tapestry. Biography He was born in Bruyères, Vosges, the son of Lucien Jean Baptiste Lurçat and Marie Emilie Marguerite L' ...

and André Lhote. He then studied with the painter

Cedric Morris Sir Cedric Lockwood Morris, 9th Baronet (11 December 1889 – 8 February 1982) was a British artist, art teacher and plantsman. He was born in Swansea in South Wales, but worked mainly in East Anglia. As an artist he is best known for his portra ...

in Suffolk. He had early success with his first major exhibition at the

Redfern Gallery The Redfern Gallery is an exhibition space in the West End of London specialising in contemporary British art. It was founded by Arthur Knyvett-Lee and Anthony Maxtone Graham in 1923 as an artists' cooperative on the top floor of Redfern H ...

in 1956. It was given a glowing review by David Sylvester who had hung the exhibition for him, so much so that Wishart stated that he had been overawed by the reaction, giving him doubts as to whether he would be able to live up to it. In the eyes of several who knew him and his work, this he signally failed to do, succumbing instead to a hedonistic lifestyle, his painting activity continuing only because "his need to paint was always stronger than a desire to go under." He married on June 12, 1950, the artist Anne Dunn, with whom he had a son in 1953, Francis. They divorced in 1960 (Dunn later married the painter Rodrigo Moynihan). His half-sister

Yasmin David Yasmin David (1939–2009) was a British landscape painter. She was the daughter of Lorna Garman Wishart and Laurie Lee. Many of her works were only exhibited posthumously. She lived in Luscombe in Devon Devon ( , historically known as ...

was also a painter. Wishart wrote a second volume of memoirs, entitled ''Injury Time'', which is yet to be published.Obituary by Philip Hoare in ''The Independent'', 2 July 1996
/ref> He died on June 29, 1996, in

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its nam ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wishart, Michael 1928 births 1996 deaths 20th-century English painters English expatriates in France English gay artists English LGBT painters Modern painters Painters from London People educated at Bedales School Alumni of the Central School of Art and Design Gay painters 20th-century LGBT people