Roger Hilton Christmas Card c.1960

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c.1960, Roger Hilton

A gift from the artist to the artist Karl Weschke, Christmas c.1960.

This is an abstract collage of red paper and black paint on card, given as a Christmas card c.1960’s. The card has an arrow indicating the correct way up for the image, and reads ‘love to Carl + Jan from Roger + Rose’.

This card is from the late 1950s or early 1960s, and measures approximately 9.4 x 4 inches (slightly irregular hand-cut card). Karl Weschke moved to Zennor in 1955 at the suggestion of Bryan Wynter. He first met Hilton when Hilton was visiting Cornwall with his first wife in 1958 (they had lunch on Christmas day at Patrick Heron’s house (the Eagle’s Nest). Hilton subsequently moved to Cornwall and married his second wife, Rose. Hilton and Weschke had an intense relationship, sometimes loud but with great mutual respect. Rose and Jan were good friends for many years. This card is likely to date from the mid-1960s.

Cards such as this were exchanged among some of the artists, and became keepsakes of those times. This card was found among Karl Weschke’s personal correspondence after he died in 2005. It is in reasonable condition for its age, having been treated as a friendly token of affection rather than a valuable treasure, and will probably have been propped on a household surface in the converted engine shed Weschke had bought at Cape Cornwall. The card has a crease mark at one of the corners, and a further slight crease mark diagonally. The card is otherwise integral and perfectly sound. This is an original and unique artwork by Roger Hilton with the added character of personal history, and is both engaging and beautiful as an object.

A letter of provenance can be provided to accompany the piece, from the Weschke family. A chance to own a tiny piece of modern art history.