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[[File:Erling Roberts.jpg|right|170px|thumb|Erling Roberts]]
<br>
'''Charles Erling Roberts''' was an English-American portrait painter.
<br>
 
'''Erling Roberts''' was an English portrait painter.
== Early life and family ==
<blockquote>
 
"Born in Surrey, England on July 22, 1901. Roberts studied at the Slade School in London and then spent three years in Australia as a protégé of portraitist George Lambert.  In 1930 he moved to Oakland, CA where he maintained a studio through the early 1970s.  He was a resident of Oxnard, CA at the time of his death in January 1974.  His work includes landscapes, portraits, pen-and-ink drawings."<ref>Edan Hughes, "Artists in California, 1786-1940" Oakland Tribune, 1-2-1972. Quoted in [http://www.askart.com/askart/r/erling_roberts/erling_roberts.aspx Askart website]</ref> The artist lived in [[Ojai, California]].
Roberts was born in Surrey, England on July 22, 1901 to Percy and Gertrude Roberts.<ref>US Social Security Death Index.</ref> He studied art at the Slade School in London.<ref>Edan Hughes, ''Artists in California, 1786-1940' Hughes publishing Co., 1986. Quoted in [http://www.askart.com/askart/r/erling_roberts/erling_roberts.aspx Askart website]</ref>  
</blockquote>  
 
== Theosophical Society involvement and years in Australia ==
 
On April 19, 1920, Roberts became a member of the Theosophical Society in England & Wales.<ref>Theosophical Society General Membership Register, 1875-1942 at [http://tsmembers.org/ http://tsmembers.org/]. See book 7, entry 83357 (website file: 7C/28).</ref> In 1921 the Roberts family with son Erling, 20 and daughter Monica, 10, boarded the ''SS Berrima'' in London and traveled to Sydney, Australia.<ref>Passenger list of ''SS Berrima''. August 25, 1921.</ref> Erling continued his education, studying for three years with portrait artist George Lambert.<ref>Hughes, 472.</ref> Erling and Monica became active in the group of young people of Theosophists at [[The Manor]] in the early 1920s, and Erling eventually married Australian Muriel Blanche Beaufoy, another Manorite.
 
== Life and career in California ==
 
By 1934, Erling and Muriel had left Australia for southern California. Their son Gavern was born on June 26, 1933, and Malcolm on November 5, 1936.<ref>U.S. Census, 1940.</ref> The family lived in Los Angeles, Covina, and later Ojai.
 
Roberts made his living as an artist, working on landscapes, pen-and-ink drawings, murals, and especially, portraits. His work was well-regarded, and was exhibited at the Assistance League in Los Angeles, 1938; Friday Morning Club (LA), 1940; Pomona College, 1947; San Gabriel Valley Artists, 1950. His work is on display in the Interior Department in Washington, DC.<ref>Hughes, 472.</ref>


[[File:Leadbeater portrait.jpg|190px|right|thumb|Leadbeater portrait by Erling Roberts, 1940]]
== Leadbeater portrait ==
== Leadbeater portrait ==


He painted the portrait of [[Charles Webster Leadbeater|C. W. Leadbeater]] that in in the collection of the [[L. W. Rogers Building]] on the [[Olcott (campus)|Olcott campus]] in Wheaton, Illinois:
Roberts painted the portrait of [[Charles Webster Leadbeater|C. W. Leadbeater]] that in in the collection of the [[L. W. Rogers Building]] on the [[Olcott (campus)|Olcott campus]] in Wheaton, Illinois. ''The American Theosophist'' reported:


<blockquote>
<blockquote>
Leadbeater Portrait
Leadbeater Portrait
<br>
All those who admired the portrait of Bishop C. W. Leadbeater, painted by Mr. Erling Roberts, of Los Angeles, at Convention and Summer School this year will be happy to learn that we have been able to secure this portrait for permanent exhibition at Headquarters. It is truly a work of art and we feel vey fortunate in having been able to persuade Mr. Roberts to part with it. We understand that many expressed the hope that it could be acquired for Headquearers and offered to subscribe to its purchase. Gifts for that purpose will now be welcome.<ref>"Leadbeater Portrait," ''The American Theosophist'' (November, 1940), 261.</ref>
All those who admired the portrait of Bishop C. W. Leadbeater, painted by Mr. Erling Roberts, of Los Angeles, at Convention and Summer School this year will be happy to learn that we have been able to secure this portrait for permanent exhibition at Headquarters. It is truly a work of art and we feel vey fortunate in having been able to persuade Mr. Roberts to part with it. We understand that many expressed the hope that it could be acquired for Headquearers and offered to subscribe to its purchase. Gifts for that purpose will now be welcome.<ref>"Leadbeater Portrait," ''The American Theosophist'' (November, 1940), 261.</ref>
</blockquote>
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[[Category:Nationality Naturalized American|Roberts, Erling]]
[[Category:Nationality Naturalized American|Roberts, Erling]]
[[Category:Nationality English|Roberts, Erling]]
[[Category:Nationality English|Roberts, Erling]]
[[Category:TS Adyar|Roberts, Erling]]
[[Category:People|Roberts, Erling]]
[[Category:People|Roberts, Erling]]

Latest revision as of 21:27, 25 May 2018

Erling Roberts

Charles Erling Roberts was an English-American portrait painter.

Early life and family

Roberts was born in Surrey, England on July 22, 1901 to Percy and Gertrude Roberts.[1] He studied art at the Slade School in London.[2]

Theosophical Society involvement and years in Australia

On April 19, 1920, Roberts became a member of the Theosophical Society in England & Wales.[3] In 1921 the Roberts family with son Erling, 20 and daughter Monica, 10, boarded the SS Berrima in London and traveled to Sydney, Australia.[4] Erling continued his education, studying for three years with portrait artist George Lambert.[5] Erling and Monica became active in the group of young people of Theosophists at The Manor in the early 1920s, and Erling eventually married Australian Muriel Blanche Beaufoy, another Manorite.

Life and career in California

By 1934, Erling and Muriel had left Australia for southern California. Their son Gavern was born on June 26, 1933, and Malcolm on November 5, 1936.[6] The family lived in Los Angeles, Covina, and later Ojai.

Roberts made his living as an artist, working on landscapes, pen-and-ink drawings, murals, and especially, portraits. His work was well-regarded, and was exhibited at the Assistance League in Los Angeles, 1938; Friday Morning Club (LA), 1940; Pomona College, 1947; San Gabriel Valley Artists, 1950. His work is on display in the Interior Department in Washington, DC.[7]

Leadbeater portrait by Erling Roberts, 1940

Leadbeater portrait

Roberts painted the portrait of C. W. Leadbeater that in in the collection of the L. W. Rogers Building on the Olcott campus in Wheaton, Illinois. The American Theosophist reported:

Leadbeater Portrait

All those who admired the portrait of Bishop C. W. Leadbeater, painted by Mr. Erling Roberts, of Los Angeles, at Convention and Summer School this year will be happy to learn that we have been able to secure this portrait for permanent exhibition at Headquarters. It is truly a work of art and we feel vey fortunate in having been able to persuade Mr. Roberts to part with it. We understand that many expressed the hope that it could be acquired for Headquearers and offered to subscribe to its purchase. Gifts for that purpose will now be welcome.[8]

Notes

  1. US Social Security Death Index.
  2. Edan Hughes, Artists in California, 1786-1940' Hughes publishing Co., 1986. Quoted in Askart website
  3. Theosophical Society General Membership Register, 1875-1942 at http://tsmembers.org/. See book 7, entry 83357 (website file: 7C/28).
  4. Passenger list of SS Berrima. August 25, 1921.
  5. Hughes, 472.
  6. U.S. Census, 1940.
  7. Hughes, 472.
  8. "Leadbeater Portrait," The American Theosophist (November, 1940), 261.