Images 1&2 : "Assorted Fondant" notebook (c.1930's) Images 2&3: Note Book seven, study of male nudes in various poses, pen and wash, 1930s. Images 4&5: Sketches of nude figures in various poses from Themes and Variations note book, pen and wash, 1930s. Image 7 : Albert (seated) and his partner George Collins. Albert Wainwright was a prolific artist who, like many artists, never received the recognition he deserved during his life time. While Wainwright only lived to the relatively young age of 45, he made a very valuable contribution to the art scene of the 1920s and 30s and is arguably one of the most talented illustrators at work in Britain at the time. He left a body of work including watercolors, drawings, painted ceramics and costume and theatre designs to his life long partner George Collins. After George’s death in 1985 the collection of works were left to family members and it is with great pleasure that a large part of the collection has been re discovered. Wainwright often refers to his sexual identity as a gay man in his work and his sketchbooks are not only filled with studies of landscape views and women but also endless beautifully observed studies of athletic male figures or men in uniforms at rest or play. These sketchbooks were personal and private documents and not intended for public view. It is also noted that much of his work contain many secret symbols that allude to his own sexual identity and the fact that these subtle references are hidden reflect the covert nature of gay culture and a rare document of gay love in Britain of the 1920s and 30s.(Source: Fieldings Auctioneers Ltd.)
