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Born Maxwell George Lorimer, Max Wall became well known in the 1940s as a radio comedian on Variety Bandbox, Midday Music-Hall and Variety Playhouse. He latterly achieved acclaim in serious roles especially in works by Samuel Beckett. The full title of this portrait is Max with Onde, Onde being one of the three cats which Maggi Hambling owned at the time. The portrait captures the moment just after Wall had finished singing 'Poor little rich girl' to Onde who was refusing to eat her food. Onde had originally come to stay with the artist for six months but remained for the seventeen and a half years until her death. Like many of the animals in Hambling's work, Onde acts as a personification of the artist.

National Portrait Gallery, London

London

Title

Max Wall ('Max with Onde')

Date

1981

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 91.4 x W 66 cm

Accession number

5578

Acquisition method

Purchased, 1983

Work type

Painting

National Portrait Gallery, London

St Martin’s Place, London, Greater London WC2H 0HE England

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Artist or maker

Maggi Hambling

b.1945

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