Turkeys 1963 was painted at Chalautre-la-Reposte, a village about an hour’s drive south east of Paris, where wealthy Parisians, including a number of Douglas’ friends, repaired to their country houses for weekends and holidays.
Douglas was always rich in friends. Towards the end of 1962, he found himself homeless, unable to find an affordable room or flat anywhere in the city. In desperation, he farmed out most of his possessions and paintings with friends, and sofa-surfed through the Christmas period.
His good friend and former lover, fashion designer Frédéric Castet, Dior’s master furrier - reputed to have saved the House of Dior by introducing the radical concept of ‘ready to wear’ fashion - was appalled at this predicament. Theirs was a close bond. For all his success and celebrity, the designer was a shy, insecure man who looked to Douglas for help with the essential meet and greet side of his work - and, of course, Douglas was only too happy to buoy him in the Paris glamour scene.
Frédéric offered Douglas the use of his traditional stone country house at Chalautre, a place where the painter was regularly a house guest, for as long as he needed, and often joined him at weekends with a band of friends. In return, Douglas maintained the gardens and supervised renovations on the adjoining stone barn.
Chalautre was home and refuge from January to June 1963, as Douglas created sweeping landscape canvases for a major city exhibition. Some of the resident neighbours kept flocks of hens and turkeys that he couldn’t resist painting. Douglas was also house-training Frédéric’s dachshund puppy for life in high society, and he, too became the subject of charming paintings.
Even after Douglas returned to Paris and found a small place to rent, he regularly returned to Chalautre for years to escape the city’s noise and chaos. There he could paint big canvases in the spacious barn, and truly breathe.
Turkeys 1963 was one of 20 MacDiarmid oil paintings that came to New Zealand for a one-man show at John Leech Gallery from 20 May - 4 June 1965 for Auckland Festival Week. The painting was No 4 in the show catalogue, priced at 85 guineas.

ANNA CAHILL

one-man exhibition, John Leech Gallery, Auckland, 20 May - 4 June 1965

Private Collection, Auckland