{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1657534"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1657534/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NB3130/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2021NB3130/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2021NB3130","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1657534/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1657534","accessionNumber":"S.1044-2021","objectType":"Drawing","titles":[{"title":"Portrait of Geoffrey and Francis Toye","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The bass-baritone and artist Fernando Autori (1886-1937) was born in Calatafini, Sicily, and despite wanting to become a painter, studied pharmacy at the University of Palermo before leaving to study singing in Palermo with Antonio Cantelli. He made his debut as an opera singer in 1908 at the Teatro Bellini in Naples and after the war first appeared at La Scala, Milan, in 1924. He made several successful guest appearances at Covent Garden and other European opera houses in the 1930s\r\n\r\nDuring his operatic career in London Aurori met Rupert D’Oyly Carte (1876-1948), proprietor of the D’Oyly Carte Company from 1913 to 1948, whose portrait he drew along with those of other conductors and personalities associated with the  company. This portrait depicts the brothers Francis Toye (1883-1964) and Geoffrey Toye (1889-1942). Geoffrey Toye was the musical director and principal conductor of the D’Oyly Carte Company at the Prince’s Theatre for three seasons, from 1919 until 1924, while the music critic and teacher Francis, who wrote <i>Giuseppe Verdi: His Life and Music</i>, published in 1931, is shown on the left carrying his book <i>Rossini: A Study in Tragi-Comedy</i>. Several of Autori’s portraits were commissioned to appear in the periodical <i>The Tatler</i>, including his portraits of theatre impresario Charles Cochran, the writer H.G. Wells, and the politician Ramsay Macdonald. \r\n","physicalDescription":"Full-length portraits of Geoffrey and Francis Toye, looking to their right, Francis on the left carrying his book on Rossini.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Autori, Fernando","id":"AUTH370168"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30616"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"crayon","id":"x30605"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Crayon on cartridge board","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Opera","id":"THES263971"},{"text":"Theatre","id":"THES250537"},{"text":"Musicians","id":"THES277525"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2021NB3130"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"003","id":"THES356684"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawings","id":"AAT33973"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1934","earliest":"1929-01-01","latest":"1938-12-31"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":"This work is undated but cannot have been drawn before 1934 since it shows Francis Toye carrying his book on Rossini published by Willim Heinemann that year"}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Peter Parker","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"76.02","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"56.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This drawing was inherited by Peter Parker, who bequeathed it to the museum, from his  father Stanley Parker who was employed by the Savoy Hotel as a junior clerk in May 1909,  straight from school. From that job, on the death of Helen D'Oyly Carte in 1913, he was  picked by Rupert D'Oyly Carte to understudy Mr George A Richardson who managed the  theatre from November 1911 to February 1915.\r\n\r\nIn 1913 Stanley Parker became Rupert and (later) Bridget D'Oyly Carte's private secretary,  also secretary of both the Savoy Theatre Ltd., and of the Opera Company.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Portraits of Geoffrey Toye (1889- 1942) and Francis Toye (1883-1964). Crayon on cartridge board  by Fernando Autori (1886-1937)","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.1044-2021"],"accessionNumberNum":"1044","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2021,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-19","recordCreationDate":"2021-09-06","availableToBook":true}}