Henrietta Moraes
Encyclopedia
Henrietta Moraes was a British artists' model
, bohémienne
, and memoirist. During the 1950s and '60s, she was the muse
and inspiration for many artists of the Soho
subculture, like Lucian Freud
and Francis Bacon
, and known for her marriages and love affairs.
A femme fatale
and a bon vivant, she was married to actor Norman Bowler
, with whom she had two children, and later the writer Dom Moraes
.
, India
, where her father was stationed in the Indian Air Force
. Her father deserted her mother when she was young, and she was raised harshly by her tyrannical, abusive grandmother in England. Later, she went to secretarial college.
By 1950, when she was nineteen years old, Moraes was working as an artists' model in several London art schools. A denizen of the Colony Room, Soho
she became the muse to a number of important British artists in the early 1950s through the mid-1960s. Francis Bacon
painted her at least sixteen times, and Lucian Freud
, with whom she had an affair, at least three times, with Bacon particularly enthralled by her mercurial character. In May 2002, Bacon's "Study for Portrait of Henrietta Moraes" was sold by Ernst Beyeler for $6.7 million. She was a notorious bon vivant and led a generally hedonistic
lifestyle. In the 1960s, she was an unsuccessful cat burglar, leading to time in Holloway Prison. Later in life, she found sobriety and penned a volume of short stories and memoirs (titled Henrietta) with the encouragement of her friend, the writer Francis Wyndham
.
In 1950, she met her first husband, film-maker Michael Law, who bestowed the name Henrietta on her. Her second husband was bodybuilder and actor
Norman Bowler
. They had two children, Joshua and Caroline, although Joshua was later revealed to be the biological son of Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner
. This marriage ended in 1956. Later in 1956, she met the 18-year-old Indian poet Dom Moraes
. They married in 1961 but were amicably divorced by the mid-1960s.
In the mid-1970s, Henrietta Moraes shared a mews flat in Hanover Terrace, Regents Park, with singer and actress Marianne Faithfull
, an episode in both their lives that forms a key chapter in Faithfull's Memories Dreams & Reflections, published in October 2007. In the late 1970s and early 1980s Moraes was caretaker of Roundwood House, near Mountrath
, County Laois
, Ireland, which was being restored by the Irish Georgian Society
. Many friends visited, and her friend Eric Burdon
recorded Darkness Darkness
there.
She started to write about her life in the book Henrietta, published by Hamish Hamilton
in 1994, and was working on a follow-up at the time of her death. She attended a 12-Step Programme in order to learn how to live without alcohol and drugs. She was diagnosed with diabetes soon after becoming a keen gardener in West London. In her last year of life she was in a relationship with artist Maggi Hambling
, who produced a posthumous volume of charcoal portraits of her.
She died in London in 1999 in her bed and on the phone to her doctor, bequeathing her long-haired dachsund dog Max to Maggi. She left only a handful of possessions and a large pile of unpaid bills.
She is buried in Brompton Cemetery
, London.
Model (art)
Art models are models who pose for photographers, painters, sculptors, and other artists as part of their work of art. Art models who pose in the nude for life drawing are usually called life models...
, bohémienne
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
, and memoirist. During the 1950s and '60s, she was the muse
Muse
The Muses in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature, are the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge, related orally for centuries in the ancient culture, that was contained in poetic lyrics and myths...
and inspiration for many artists of the Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
subculture, like Lucian Freud
Lucian Freud
Lucian Michael Freud, OM, CH was a British painter. Known chiefly for his thickly impasted portrait and figure paintings, he was widely considered the pre-eminent British artist of his time...
and Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon (painter)
Francis Bacon , was an Irish-born British figurative painter known for his bold, austere, graphic and emotionally raw imagery. Bacon's painterly but abstract figures typically appear isolated in glass or steel geometrical cages set against flat, nondescript backgrounds...
, and known for her marriages and love affairs.
A femme fatale
Femme fatale
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
and a bon vivant, she was married to actor Norman Bowler
Norman Bowler
Norman Clifford Bowler is a British actor.Born in London, son of a watch repairer in Mill Lane, NW6, he became a member of the 1950s Soho set alongside the likes of John Minton, Francis Bacon and Daniel Farson. There he met Henrietta Moraes, who divorced her first husband, Michael Law, and...
, with whom she had two children, and later the writer Dom Moraes
Dom Moraes
Dominic Francis Moraes , popularly known as Dom Moraes, was a Goan writer, poet and columnist. He published nearly 30 books.-Early life:...
.
Life
She was born Audrey Wendy Abbott in SimlaShimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where her father was stationed in the Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
. Her father deserted her mother when she was young, and she was raised harshly by her tyrannical, abusive grandmother in England. Later, she went to secretarial college.
By 1950, when she was nineteen years old, Moraes was working as an artists' model in several London art schools. A denizen of the Colony Room, Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
she became the muse to a number of important British artists in the early 1950s through the mid-1960s. Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon (painter)
Francis Bacon , was an Irish-born British figurative painter known for his bold, austere, graphic and emotionally raw imagery. Bacon's painterly but abstract figures typically appear isolated in glass or steel geometrical cages set against flat, nondescript backgrounds...
painted her at least sixteen times, and Lucian Freud
Lucian Freud
Lucian Michael Freud, OM, CH was a British painter. Known chiefly for his thickly impasted portrait and figure paintings, he was widely considered the pre-eminent British artist of his time...
, with whom she had an affair, at least three times, with Bacon particularly enthralled by her mercurial character. In May 2002, Bacon's "Study for Portrait of Henrietta Moraes" was sold by Ernst Beyeler for $6.7 million. She was a notorious bon vivant and led a generally hedonistic
Hedonism
Hedonism is a school of thought which argues that pleasure is the only intrinsic good. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure .-Etymology:The name derives from the Greek word for "delight" ....
lifestyle. In the 1960s, she was an unsuccessful cat burglar, leading to time in Holloway Prison. Later in life, she found sobriety and penned a volume of short stories and memoirs (titled Henrietta) with the encouragement of her friend, the writer Francis Wyndham
Francis Wyndham
Francis Wyndham may refer to*Francis Wyndham *Sir Francis Wyndham, 1st Baronet...
.
In 1950, she met her first husband, film-maker Michael Law, who bestowed the name Henrietta on her. Her second husband was bodybuilder and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Norman Bowler
Norman Bowler
Norman Clifford Bowler is a British actor.Born in London, son of a watch repairer in Mill Lane, NW6, he became a member of the 1950s Soho set alongside the likes of John Minton, Francis Bacon and Daniel Farson. There he met Henrietta Moraes, who divorced her first husband, Michael Law, and...
. They had two children, Joshua and Caroline, although Joshua was later revealed to be the biological son of Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner
Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner
Colin Christopher Paget Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner was a Scottish noble. He was the son of Christopher Grey Tennant, 2nd Baron Glenconner and Pamela Winefred Paget...
. This marriage ended in 1956. Later in 1956, she met the 18-year-old Indian poet Dom Moraes
Dom Moraes
Dominic Francis Moraes , popularly known as Dom Moraes, was a Goan writer, poet and columnist. He published nearly 30 books.-Early life:...
. They married in 1961 but were amicably divorced by the mid-1960s.
In the mid-1970s, Henrietta Moraes shared a mews flat in Hanover Terrace, Regents Park, with singer and actress Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
, an episode in both their lives that forms a key chapter in Faithfull's Memories Dreams & Reflections, published in October 2007. In the late 1970s and early 1980s Moraes was caretaker of Roundwood House, near Mountrath
Mountrath
Mountrath is a small town in County Laois, Ireland. Bypassed by the M7 motorway in 2010, the town lies on the R445 midway between Dublin and Limerick, exactly 96.5 km from both cities.In 2006 it had a population of 1,435...
, County Laois
County Laois
County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
, Ireland, which was being restored by the Irish Georgian Society
Irish Georgian Society
The Irish Georgian Society aims to encourage an interest in and to promote the conservation of distinguished examples of architecture and the allied arts of all periods in Ireland...
. Many friends visited, and her friend Eric Burdon
Eric Burdon
Eric Victor Burdon is an English singer-songwriter best known as a founding member and vocalist of rock band The Animals, and the funk rock band War and for his aggressive stage performance...
recorded Darkness Darkness
Darkness Darkness
Darkness Darkness is an album by the former vocalist from The Animals, Eric Burdon. It was recorded in May 1978 at Roundwood House, County Laois in Ireland, using Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio. The album was released by Polydor in 1980...
there.
Hamish Hamilton
Hamish Hamilton Limited was a British book publishing house, founded in 1931 eponymously by the half-Scot half-American Jamie Hamilton . Confusingly, Jamie Hamilton was often referred to as Hamish Hamilton...
in 1994, and was working on a follow-up at the time of her death. She attended a 12-Step Programme in order to learn how to live without alcohol and drugs. She was diagnosed with diabetes soon after becoming a keen gardener in West London. In her last year of life she was in a relationship with artist Maggi Hambling
Maggi Hambling
Maggi Hambling CBE is an English painter and sculptor. Perhaps her best known public works are a memorial to Oscar Wilde in central London and Scallop, a 4 metre high steel sculpture of two interlocking scallop shells on Aldeburgh beach dedicated to Benjamin Britten...
, who produced a posthumous volume of charcoal portraits of her.
She died in London in 1999 in her bed and on the phone to her doctor, bequeathing her long-haired dachsund dog Max to Maggi. She left only a handful of possessions and a large pile of unpaid bills.
She is buried in Brompton Cemetery
Brompton Cemetery
Brompton Cemetery is located near Earl's Court in South West London, England . It is managed by The Royal Parks and is one of the Magnificent Seven...
, London.
External links
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,3805114,00.htmlThe GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
obituary]