When renowned New Zealand painter Raymond McIntyre arrived in London in 1909 at the age of 30, he had no real intentions of returning to his homeland. He had left New Zealand permanently and as an expatriate performed all the duties that his circumstances required – he frequently wrote home to his father recounting his experiences and he tried to establish himself professionally.

Avery Huyghe (nee Muriel Avery), by Raymond McIntyre, oil on oak panel, 16 X 13”

Avery Huyghe (nee Muriel Avery), attributed to Raymond McIntyre, oil on plywood, 113/4X 8 5/8”

Muriel Avery arrived in London from Farnham, Surrey at age 19 around 1930. Her artistic aspirations led her to find work at a London art gallery where she was required to burnish pieces of pottery by Harold Stabler. Thus began her life-long attraction to the tactile qualities of clay. During the war she applied to study ceramics at The Central School of Arts and Crafts, but was refused in favour of those already in the trade.

She was married in London in 1947 and emigrated with her husband to Vancouver in 1948. Upon her arrival she began to study pottery with Molly Carter in the UBC Extension Department. In 1955 she helped found the BC Potters Guild (now the Potters Guild of Britih Columbia, which since 1985 has operated the Gallery of BC Ceramics). During the 1960s Muriel, using the name Avery Huyghe¹, received international recognition for her works in clay. She died in Vancouver in 1981.

A signed oil-on-board portrait of Muriel (Avery) by Raymond McIntyre attests to a prior meeting between these two expatriate artists. The painted image closely resembles a known photograph of Muriel (Avery) taken around 1930, three years before McIntyre, then 51, died of a strangulated hernia. She may have modelled for McIntyre (McIntyre is known to have taught privately to supplement his income_² ) in exchange for painting lessons, as it is doubtful that a young single woman supporting herself in London would have had the financial resources to commission a portrait from such a well-known portrait painter.

A second unsigned portrait of Muriel (Avery) from the same period and attributed to McIntyre, supports the fact that she was a frequent subject and most likely, a model. It is known that McIntyre painted many portraits of women, probably on commission, which may have provided a steady although inadequate income.

It is possible that the artist gave these portraits directly to Muriel (Avery), as it is documented that very little of his work survived after the late 1920s due to the actions of a fastidious housekeeper who cleared out his studio soon after his death. Speculation as to the nature of their relationship may suggest a professional association based on the fact that Muriel (Avery) worked as a secretary and she may have acted in this capacity, perhaps on a part-time basis for McIntyre. McIntyre never married and the existence of two portraits, both uncommissioned, of the same woman may suggest she was a preferred subject.

1 She never liked the name Muriel and when she married she took her family surname Avery as her first name and her husband’s family name of Huyghe as her married surname. Thus, she was known as Avery Huyghe.

2 Raymond McIntyre, A New Zealand Painter, Auckland City Art Gallery, 1984, p. 46

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