Robert Tollast was born in London and studiet Fine
Arts as the Westminister School of Art.During the Second War he was
commissioned in the Intelligence Corps and joined the dplomatic service as an
Attaché de Presse in the British Embassies of Baghdad and Cairo.He resigned in
1948 to become a full-time portrait painter,and in 1949 had his first one-man
show in London and exhibited at the Royal Academy.A period of global travelling
was followed by ten years painting in the United States (New York and
Washington D.C.). His exibition at the
Washington gallery was opened by the then British Ambassador,the Earl of
Cromer,formerly Governor of the Bank of England.
Since
his return to England in 1976, Robert Tollast has divided his time between
Switzerland, France(Paris) & Italy (Milan and Florence) & Austria
(Vienna) wiht occasional visits to Germany.
During
long visits to South Africa he painted three generations oh the Oppenheimer
family,among other prominent figures in industry.
The
list of Tollast´s most interesting portrait commissions includes clients
internationally prominent in the arts,sciences,industry and politics,of which
one of the most notable is that of Sir Winston Churchill.This was the last
official portrait,of which the sitter-notoriously difficult over portrais of
himself- went on record to express his approval.
Robert Tollast´s most recent important commission has been to paint, in oil,all the partners of the partners of the Geneva private bank Lombard Odier& Cie. He also works in water-colour and pastel and is a notably successful painter of children.