Portrait of the Artist's Father, 1929

Carel Weight RA (1908 - 1997)

RA Collection: Art

When he was a few months old Carel Weight's parents sent him to be looked after by poor neighbours at World's End, Chelsea. He was allowed to return to his parents at weekends, which he did reluctantly, but always considered his 'adopted' parents' house to be home. He recollected:

'When I came home, I was rather bored with my parents. I used to have old drawing books; it's an extraordinary thing, I had various gifts as an artist. I don't think I was wonderful in anyway, but I could draw people with little difficulty and I've done that ever since. I can invent people. I remember calling my father "an old bugger". He hit me for that although I had great affection for him really.'

Weight's father, Sidney L. Weight, was a bank clerk who wished his son to follow in his footsteps. Weight said that when he insisted on going to art school, his father gave him one year to prove himself otherwise he would have to go into banking.