Theodore Garman

Theodore Garman (1 July 1924 – 22 January 1954) was an English painter of the mid-20th century.

Early life

Garman was born on 1 July 1924, the son of Kathleen Garman (then a "student of music" Kathleen was Epstein's mistress and later, after his first wife had died, his second wife. At the age of six, Theo's portrait was painted by Epstein. It is now part of the Garman Ryan Collection at The New Art Gallery Walsall, Another portrait, also in the Garman Ryan Collection, was painted by Fritz Mühsan.

Garman was a gifted child and won school prizes for literature and history. A conscientious objector during the Second World War, he worked on a farm at South Harting, West Sussex near his grandmother's house. A friend from childhood, Kathleen Walne, said, "He was an eccentric, but a lovely one. He was a favourite in our household".

Career He developed as a talented painter. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia. (It was said on his death that he had "destroyed most of his canvasses in fits of depression". ) In January 1950 he had an exhibition at the Redfern Gallery in London and in a foreword to the catalogue the artist and critic, Matthew Smith, wrote, "About the painting of Theodore Garman I can only say I look at them with wonder, admiration and even astonishment". Wyndham Lewis, in a review of the exhibition for The Listener, called him "an important newcomer". In March 1952 Theodore had a second exhibition at the Redfern Gallery. which he had depicted in several paintings.

His oil painting Autumn Chrysanthemums is at New College, University of Oxford.

Legacy

A retrospective exhibition, Father and Son: Jacob Epstein (1880–1959) & Theodore Garman (1924–1954) was held at the Fine Art Society, London in October 1989.

His photographic portrait, by Ida Kar, is in the National Portrait Gallery.