Paintings showing first gay kiss in UK theatre acquired for the nation | Art | The Guardian

Pallant House Gallery receives Leonard Rossoman’s John Osborne play

Last modified: Tuesday, June 30, 2020 12.19 EDT

These paintings represent the first gay kiss and an extravagant drag ball in the history of British theater, instead of inheritance tax, they were purchased by the UK.

West Sussex announced in Chichester that it has become the owner of five paintings

Since the 1960s.

"They are really great works," said Simon Martin, director of the gallery. "On many levels, museums are exciting things. He has captured extraordinary moments not only in the history of drama, but also in British society."

These paintings shined in a fascinating chapter in LGBTQ+ history stage production, which paved the way for the abolition of theater censorship.

Rosoman, probably the most famous war artist, was a friend of the "Angry Young Man" playwright

The same goes for the first night audience of Osborne's 1965 play "Patriot For Me."

This epic drama is based on the true story of Alfred Redl, a gay spy extorted by the Austro-Hungarian army. It was banned by the Lord's Office due to its gay content, but the determined producer used a loophole in the law to turn the Royal Court of London Theatre into a private membership club during the performance.

Its most controversial scene is the curtain raised at the aristocratic Vienna fancy dress ball. The audience gradually realized that almost all the protagonists on the stage are men.

Rossoman was obviously fascinated by the performance. He returns every night for two weeks, drawing drawings with a flashlight.

Two years later, the drawings will constitute

And gouache. Five of them came from the property of the painter's widow, Roxanne Wruble Rosoman. They were acquired under the premise of a replacement plan and paid a total of £96,600 in taxes.

These paintings depict the head of the Royal Court, George Devine, with a chandelier that appears to hang from his head, named Baron von Epp (Baron von Epp). The other character is wearing jewelry. Other actors that can be determined include Maximilian Schell of Redl, who is doomed to destruction, and Jill Bennett, Countess Sophia.

Martin said that these paintings have a real sense of drama. Rosoman is indeed thinking about the experience in the theater and the shock that people will witness. This is a crucial moment in the play, full of controversy. "

Before the exhibition at the Pallant House Gallery in 2018, the paintings of "My Patriot" were little known and little known.

The play itself, due to its large cast and rarely performed, was part of a wide-ranging debate about sex and censorship, and contributed to the 1968 Drama Act, which effectively abolished the stage censorship system.

The substitute group accepted the chairman Edward Harley (Edward Harley) said that these photos are some of the most important photos in Rosoman's career, based on the drama "breaking the 1960s sexual concept change".

He said: "I hope this example will encourage others to use the program and continue to support our national collection."

From July 4th, England’s museums and galleries have been allowed to reopen with reduced numbers and strict safety guidelines. Pallant House is expected to reopen sometime in August, although two of the absolutely huge Rosoman paintings are 1.8 meters x 2.3 meters high and will not be exhibited immediately because the gallery will reopen and the exhibition will only be locked in an event When it started. procession.

• This article was revised on June 30, 2020 to clarify that drag the ball and the first gay kiss are two separate scenes in The Patriot for Me.