Franklin Roosevelt Memorial, Grosvenor Square, London, England, Original Painting by Anthony Klitz,...

Description

The extended description below was supplied by the consignor. We are making it available to our web bidders who are interested in more in-depth research and broader historical perspective. Please note that presentation (i.e. framing), lot divisions, and interpretations of condition and content may occasionally differ from our descriptions. Assertions of fact and subjective observations contained in this description represent the opinion of the consignor. These remarks have not been checked for accuracy by Heritage Auctions, and we assume no responsibility for their accuracy; they are offered purely to allow the bidder insight into the way the consignor has viewed the item(s) in question. No right of return or claim of lack of authenticity or provenance based upon this extended description will be granted.

Original oil on canvas painting by noted artist Anthony Klitz (1917-2000) of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial in Grosvenor Square, London, England, signed "KLITZ" in the lower right of the canvas. The canvas measures 15 x 30," to an overall size of 22 x 36" framed.  Born in Southport, England, "Tony" Klitz was educated at Bishop Wordsworth School, Salisbury, and attended Cheltenham Art School (1936-1939) until his War service (1939-1945). Demobilized as a Major, he eventually came to live and work in London in 1950 and evolved his style after working with the Australian artist Hayward Veal (while in London). At the time of his second exhibition in London, the critic Norman Collins wrote: "In comparison with other great capitals of the world London remains astonishingly unpainted. Mr. Klitz, an artist with a fine sense of architectural atmosphere and character, has done a great deal to redress the balance. His pictures show a fine but restrained sense of colour and he is engagingly sensitive to the London scene. Mr. Klitz is an artist – and this is a high tribute indeed – whose work will appeal equally to those who live in London and to those who have paid a visit to London, and want to have something by which to remember it. Whether it is Horse Guards Parade or the River, Mr. Klitz has captured that strange pearly light which is the secret of so much of London's grace." The Roosevelt Memorial in London painted so beautifully by Klitz was funded in 1946 entirely through the sale of a souvenir brochure to the British public. This was the brain child of The Pilgrims, a society dedicated to the enhancement of friendship and understanding between Great Britain and America. So enthusiastic was the public response to the subscription that the total sum required was reached and exceeded in a mere six days from the day that British Prime Minister announced the opening of the appeal on the radio. More than 160,000 separate donations had been received. On April 12, 1948, the statue was ceremonially unveiled by Eleanor Roosevelt and dedicated by United States Ambassador Lewis W. Douglas in front of an audience including the Royal Family, the Prime Minister Clement Attlee and the Leader of the Opposition Sir Winston Churchill. A magnificent and original oil depicting the Roosevelt Memorial in London's Grosvenor Square.