Picture Personalities - Augustus John (1944)

Two soldiers in uniform look at a painting of General Montgomery. We then see the artist Augustus John at home and at work. Various good shots of John painting, sketching and enjoying his garden. John smokes a pipe throughout. John uses a special device with a long handle to prune some trees. A young boy joins the artist in the garden - he is John Cole, the son of Mavis Cole. Mavis is the subject of John's current painting. John shows the young boy a book he is reading. Mavis looks out of a window as John shouts up to her that he is ready to begin painting. We follow him up a staircase to his studio. His house is of a modern design. M/S of Mavis as she walks up the stairs. She sits in a chair in the studio and we see John at work and Mavis posing. Good travelling shot over John's paints and brushes which are scattered over a large table. The artist and his model are seen in silhouette against a large window. Good shots of the two of them as the painting takes shape. Mavis has a rest - she sits on a window seat smoking a cigarette. John is shown at work on a very large canvas. FILM ID:1289.01 FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT http://www.britishpathe.com/