Roy de Maistre

Roy de Maistre was born as Leroy Livingstone de Mestre in Australia. Known for his early experiments with “color-music”, his styles changed from abstract painting in his early years to early modernism and later to cubism. De Maistre studied art and music in Sydney. Between the two World Wars he lived abroad except for a brief return to Sydney in London. The gay de Mestre changed his name during this time because of his alleged relationship with the French philosopher Joseph de Maistre. Roy de Maistre is still regarded as one of the most important Australian born painters of his era. His father Étienne was a well-known thoroughbred racehorse trainer.

The title of the submitted work appears in different versions. In the art catalog as Rugby Football or Footballers; the correct title is probably The Football Match. The painting in oil on canvas was created in 1938. In 1948 the painting was on loan from the wife of British Tory MP R. A. Butler, although now it belongs to Australian businesswoman and art collector Janet Holmes a Court and is exhibited in her gallery in Perth.