Geometry of the nude: painting on the edge of drawing, how Euan Aglow turned art into science.

Euan Ernest Richard Uglow (1932 — 2000) — British artist, famous for his works in the genre of nude and still life, characterized by verified geometry and cold precision. He was born in London, which is rather atypical for representatives of the “London School” of painting, among which he stood out not only for his origin, but also for his special artistic methodology.

Uglow received his art education at the London University of the Arts and continued at the renowned Slade School of Art. There he was mentored by William Coldstream, an advocate of a strictly academic approach to painting from life, based on repeated and meticulous measurements. Under Coldstream's influence, Uglow formed his own unique painting method, which he continued to develop after graduating in 1954, later becoming a teacher at Slade himself.

In the same year, at the age of 22, he decided to conscientious objection. Instead of the army, he had to serve an alternative service: for two years he worked on the restoration of the destroyed military stormwater architecture, participated in the restoration of London buildings and the old Christopher Wren Church.

Success did not come to the artist immediately. He managed to sell his first painting only 8 years after graduating from art school. And his first solo exhibition took place in 1961.

In 1962, he found himself at the center of a cultural scandal. His canvas entitled “German Girl” was recognized as “offensive to decency” by the curators of the Bradford Art Museum, and the exhibition was held without the participation of this picture. The artist, however, on such assessments reacted calmly. Neither fame, nor criticism, he especially did not care. Even when the Royal Academy of Arts offered him membership, he preferred to reject their offer.

Uglow was characterized by external and internal restraint: both in life and in his work, he avoided excessive displays of emotion. His style was based on extreme precision, where measurements played a crucial role. For this purpose, he made a special instrument, assembled from an old lectern, with which he meticulously measured the proportions of objects.

Whether it was an urban landscape, an apple on a white tablecloth or a nude figure, each work demonstrated his passion for symmetry, structure and precision, almost mathematical in its calmness. In Uglow's paintings, one can see the many small horizontal and vertical markings with which he recorded coordinates so that they could be checked against reality. Uglow's work has also been compared to the simple classicism of Renaissance painter Piero della Francesca.

The artist worked very slowly. He once jokingly remarked that he began painting a portrait of a model when she was still a bride, continued his work after her wedding, and completed it after her divorce. He did not aim to work in hyperrealism, but his paintings evoke a sense of three-dimensionality and sculptural elaboration. Uglow was a perfectionist, constantly adjusting details, and could repaint sections of canvas several times until he achieved a perfect match to his own idea of form.

Despite the slow pace of his work, producing no more than a couple of paintings a year, Euan Uglow's name became widely known. In 2000 he was listed as one of the 15 most important artists in Britain.

One of the most curious episodes of his career is connected with the future wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Cherie Booth. As a young woman, she posed for a nude painting by Uglow. The artist began painting her figure, but before completing the work, he had no time to finish the face because of his tendency to drag out the process for the sake of accuracy. As a result, the body in the painting belongs to Cherie, and the face is that of another model. Uglow strictly forbade the painting to be exhibited during Blair's lifetime to avoid political backlash. After the artist's death, the painting was sold to a private collector for 600 thousand pounds. There is speculation that it was purchased by the Blairs themselves. The art critic Frank Whitford, writing in The Sunday Times, jokingly suggested that Aglow made such an impression on the young Cherry that the Blairs named their son after him

Euan Uglow passed away in 2000 from cancer of the liver. He left behind him a small but colorful and impeccably calibrated artistic legacy that is still admired for its restraint and precision.

Buy handmade goods or modern art you can on artAlebrio - is an international marketplace for people who want to create, sell, buy and collect unique items and art - buy the best with us artAlebrio.com.