Monday 20 September 2010

Patrick Heron? Which Patrick Heron?

The Patrick Heron written about by Adrian Clark in his new book (British and Irish Art 1945-1951: From War to Festival, Hogarth Arts, 2010) was the highly regarded British artist who lived 1920-99. He looked like this, in a 1954 photograph by Ida Kar in possession of his daughters Katharine and Susanna Heron.


















Patrick Heron was also a very well-known critic who wrote regularly for such journals as the New Statesman.
It turns out there is another Patrick Heron, also a writer, but never an artist. Unfortunately, his photograph crept into Clark's book (page 117) in place of the painter's. This Patrick Heron writes about the imminent ending of the world and the return of the Antichrist. Hey! it's not that bad, Patrick, just a mistake with a photograph…