Charcoal Portrait “Laughs With World, Dies Alone” by Granville Redmond (1871-1935)

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Almost an apt marking for a tombstone, “Laughs with World, Dies Alone,” the title of this drawing by Granville Redmond … Read more Almost an apt marking for a tombstone, “Laughs with World, Dies Alone,” the title of this drawing by Granville Redmond (1871-1935) of silent film star Larry Semon was likely made on or about October 8, 1928, when following a nervous breakdown and a decline in health, Semon died in Victorville, California, from pneumonia and tuberculosis. He was 39 years old.
It’s a story as old as Hollywood, itself. Semon (1889–1928), often referred to as "Larry Seaman" in some historical contexts, was one of the most popular and highest-paid slapstick comedians of the silent film era. At the height of his career, his fame rivaled that of legends like Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. The comedian was known for his "white-faced" goofy character, typically wearing a derby hat and oversized overalls, captured here in the background portrait with an adoring dog. He was posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.
Philadelphia-born Granville Redmond made his own success tour through early Hollywood. As a youngster he had contracted scarlet fever and became deaf. His family moved west to San Jose, California so that he could attend the California School for the Deaf in Berkeley. Showing early talent in art, Redmond won a scholarship to the Académie Julien in Paris. But by 1917, he was working as a pantomimist in Los Angeles.
Silent film titan Charlie Chaplin met the painter and reached out to him for help to learn sign language and especially to develop expressive pantomime techniques for his silent film performances. The filmmaker also collected Redmond’s paintings-- colorful California Impressionist landscapes filled with poppies and lupines. Chaplin eventually gave the artist a painting studio on his movie lot, likely a first for someone who wasn’t there to create film backdrops.
As such, this drawing is quite a departure from the sunny paintings for which Granville Redmond is most famous. Which is precisely what makes this and the other four tonalist works from the same sketchbook by this artist, each offered separately, so interesting.
Redmond’s work can be seen in numerous museum collections, especially in California. These include Sacramento’s Crocker Art Museum, the Laguna Art Museum in Laguna Beach, and the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art, today holding the pre-eminent collection of California Impressionism.
Lastly, a fun fact about Granville Redmond: he made uncredited appearances in several of Chaplin’s films, including his renowned “City Lights.”
Signature: Nonexistent. See less