Welcome to the Verso Blog - Modern British Art insights and posts
The Story Behind the Painting
Definition of Verso:
Stemming from early Latin roots, the term verso means reverse. In an art context, it refers to the reverse side or back of a picture.
The verso demands a different form of contemplation, as it is that which is not always immediately obvious.
Fred Yates and the Rastall family connection
Much has been written about the artist Frederick Joseph Yates (b1922 – d2008) and thankfully as interest continues to build about this fascinating British painter’s life, more is added. So let me add a small chapter about the connection Fred has had with four generations of the Rastall family.
It starts in Bournemouth where a young Fred Yates was welcomed by my great grandmother Nelly Rastall as a paying lodger, renting a room in her big house in Purbeck Road, Bournemouth, not far from the pier. This must have been after the war around 1946 when Fred signed up for an art teacher training course.
Fred Yates ‘Pen and Ink’ Drawing - an unusual commission
Like struggling actors, artists need to keep an income coming in during the early years of a painting career. This can involve unusual commission requests, and for art collectors this can lead to a rare item.
In the early 1970’s Fred Yates found himself back with the Rastall household staying a few days around the Wye Valley with my grandmother. My father was running the family business in Tintern, and asked for Fred’s help with an unusual commission.