John Melville (London, 1902 - Birmingham, 1986) The Font, or Mushroom-headed Child, 1940 Oil on panel Signed and dated upper right Countersigned, dated and titled on a label on the back 67×46.5cm Provenance : - Galerie 1900-2000, Paris: "Les Enfants d'Alice. Surrealist Painting in England 1930-1960", 14 May - 30 June 1982, reproduced in the catalogue under n°91 p.67 and described on p.97 - Collection Geneviève et Jean-Paul Kahn, Paris Exhibitions : - Hamet Gallery, London, "Britain's Contribution to Surrealism of the 30's and 40's", 3 - 27 November 1971 - Milan, Palazzo Reale, "I Surrealisti", 7 June - 10 September 1989, reproduced in the catalogue p.459 and described p.639 - Frankfurt, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, "Die Surrealisten", 8 December 1989 - 18 February 1990, reproduced in the catalogue p. 265 and described on p.420 Bibliography: - "Arson", 1942, p. 24 - Gérard Durozoi, "Histoire du mouvement surréaliste", Paris, éditions Hazan, [1997] 2004, described p. 309 - Michael Remy, "Surrealism in Britain", London, Taylor & Francis, [1999] 2019, described p. 200 and reproduced pl.101 p.202 Note: A label on the reverse of the canvas identifies the work and bears the artist's address; another refers to the exhibition "Alice's Children"