About this lot

Description

§ Anthony Devas ARA, RP, NEAC (British 1911-1958)
Portrait of Sarah Millar, née Ellis, 1953 signed 'Devas' (upper right) oil on canavs 92 x 62cm

Footnote: Provenance: With Johnston Fine Art, Northamptonshire, where acquired by the present owner Exhibited: London, The Royal Academy, Summer Exhibition, 1954, cat.no.86 Born in 1930, Sarah Millar (née Ellis) spent the 1950s working as the personal assistant to Anthony Devas, during which time he painted several portraits of her. Dubbed ‘The Aero Girls’, Millar was one of a number of women used as models to advertise Aero chocolate between 1950 and 1952. Commissioned by the advertising agency, J. Walter Thompson, Millar’s Aero portrait, which was painted by Devas and fictitiously titled, ‘Anna’, was used in Rowntree’s print advertising throughout February 1952. Exhibited in 1954, the present lot was the second of Devas’ portraits of Millar to have been shown at the Royal Academy, the first of which, titled ‘Sarah Millar (with hands clutching shawl)’ was shown in 1953 and was the star portrait of the exhibition.

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