POLITACHI, Paul

1865 - 1937

Paul Politachi was born in Constantinople [Istanbul] in 1865, son of Constantine Politachi (1840-1914), a merchant in cotton goods, and his wife Virginie (1848-1914). Politachi also painted under the name of Paul Paul. About 1870 the family came to England and in 1871, Paul was a 6-year-old, living at 4 Victoria Crescent, Broughton, Salford with his parents, 31-year-old Constantine and 23-year-old Virginie, with two sibling sisters, Eutcripi 4 and Emilie 2, also living with them was Constantine's mother, 55 year old Fotine Politachi, all born in Constantinople, they also retained a governess and a servant. As P Paul Paul, in January 1887 he enrolled at Herkomer's Art School at Bushey, Hertfordshire and was introduced to membership of the Staithes Group of Artists. In 1891, a 25-year-old grey cloth agent, living with the family now at Bury New Road, Broughton. He was the co-respondent in a divorce action in January 1896 with Marion née Archer, the wife of Ernest Burkhardt when £5,000 damages were awarded against him and in February 1896, as Paul Plato Politachi, an unemployed cloth salesman of 40 Lloyd Street, Manchester, formerly living with his father at Glen Lodge, Kersal, Manchester, he appeared for his public examination in bankruptcy with liabilities of £5,700 and assets of £1.63. He married at Hendon, Middlesex later in 1896, Marion Burkhardt née Archer after which he changed his name to Paul Plato Paul, painting as Paul Paul. In 1901, a 35-year-old artist painter, living at 4 Rudolph Road, Bushey, Watford, Hertfordshire with his 36-year-old wife Marion and their 4-year-old son George. His wife died in 1909 when he married secondly at Conway, Caernarvon in 1910, Margaret Ellen Bursi (1882-1964) and in 1911, now Paul Paul, a 44 [sic] year-old, living at 11 Bath Road, Bedford Park, Chiswick with his 29-year-old wife Margaret, son George and a new son, 1-year-old John. He painted chiefly in oils using small strokes of pure colour, very much in the manner of the French Impressionists and was to spend most of his career based in London. He painted on the North Yorkshire coast during the peak of the Staithes Group, but he also worked in Etaples in France and at Walberswick in Suffolk, both favourite haunts of Philip Wilson Steer. Elected to the Royal Society of British Artists in 1903 and in that year exhibited 'The Old Pier, Walberswick' and 'The Road to the Village' in their winter exhibition also exhibiting at the Royal Academy. As Paul Paul, he died at 11 Bath Road, Bedford Park, Brentford, Middlesex on 23 January 1937, aged 71.

Royal Academy Exhibits as Paul Paul
from 21 Gainsborough Road, Bedford Park, West London
1904 622 Eventide
from 11 Bath Road, Bedford Park, West London
1911 617 The White Bridge
1912 309 The River
1913 666 April Day
1914 462 Sand Dunes, Pas de Calais
1918 270 The River
1930 129 The Stillness of a Summer's Day
1931 562 The River
1932 470 A Sunny Day

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Works by This Artist