Circle of Charles Baxter (1809-1879) Two young girls chasing a butterfly in a country house garden Oil on canvas, 93cm dia. (tondo) Provenance: Summer Fine Art Sale, Tennants, 17/07/2015, lot 678 See illustration In fully restored condition. Re-lined, cleaned and re-varnished. Over painting to upper left hand side and relatively sporadic re-touching throughout the upper background. Strengthening to outlines and definition of the vegetation on the right hand side with additional re-touching to the outer edges at most parts of the edges. Re-touching to the lower part of the gauzy material nearest the viewer and more isolated highlights mostly within the pink dress. The rounder fleshier elements of the skin of the raised arm and hands, the girls faces etc appear to have been probably more recently embellished. The overall surface is a little on the flat side from the restoration processes,but still carries some detailing and texture in places.
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Follower of Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger (1561/62-1636) Portrait of a young child, standing full length, wearing a black dress, with a fine lace collar, a gold chatelaine and holding a chaffinch Dated 1616, 3 December, oil on canvas, 84cm by 61cm See illustration Relatively old re line, clean and re varnish. Section of over painting within the upper left hand corner around the inscription. Further patch of infilling/over painting in line with the child's left eye in the background approximately 1cm by 1cm. The outline/left hand side hair line and throughout the crown of hair has been in filled and strengthened. Further more minor and sporadic retouches throughout background within the upper half. More consistent strengthening to darker shadows and definition of the costume and within the foreground on which the figure stands. The shadow of the chin has been re painted and the lips of the child appear to have received some treatment. Some of these areas of re touching are visible with the eye and have probably been executed at various different times. Fine stable craquelure throughout, particularly more evident within the flesh tones where the surface dirt etc. compounds the craquelure. Covered in a relatively thick layer of discoloured varnish. The darker tones of the dress/surface generally slightly flatter and more abraded. Very slight push mark to left hand side collar at shoulder hight. In otherwise a fair and stable condition.
Petrus Johannes van Reysschoot (1702-1772) Flemish Fête Champêtre - Figures with baskets of flowers in a river landscape Oil on canvas, 112cm by 85cm Provenance: Old Master Paintings, European Works of Art, British Paintings, British Watercolours, Sotheby's, London, 28th May 1998, lot 413 Fine Art Sale, Tennants, 14th November 2014, lot 552 See illustration In fully restored condition, relined, cleaned and re varnished. Retaining some surface and impasto, over painting and strengthening across the figure group, especially within the drapery
John Berney Crome (1794-1842) Mill Scene near Great Yarmouth Oil on panel, 20cm by 32cm Provenance: Sir Algernon Methuen Bt. Messrs Gooden & Fox, London Mandell's Gallery, Norwich This painting was reputedly included in the Royal Academy Exhibition of the Works of the Old Masters, 1878, according to label verso. See illustration
JOHN JACK (SCOTTISH FL. 1872-1891) BURNTISLAND HARBOUR Oil on canvas, signed and dated 1879, 54.5 x 91.5cm (21 1/2 x 36") Condition Report: The painting has been lined and on close inspection there is cracking in the pigment evident over much of the area of the sky and there is a very light score line in proximity to the lower right hand corner.
JOSEPH MORRIS HENDERSON RSA (SCOTTISH 1864-1936) A BREEZE FROM THE SEA Oil on canvas, signed, 51 x 76cm (20 x 30") T. & R. Annan & Sons Ltd label verso Condition Report: On close inspection there is a stretcher bar line slightly visible along the top of the canvas recto where there has been some very fine cracking of the pigment in places. Overall the painting is in good condition.
JAMES WHITELAW HAMILTON RSA, RSW (SCOTTISH 1860-1932) EVENING ON THE CLYDE - 1920 Oil on canvas, signed, 35.5 x 46cm (14 x 18") The Fine Art Society PLC label verso Condition Report: On very close inspection there are five very light cracks in the pigment located within the top left hand quarter section. Overall the painting is in good condition.
•MARY NICOL NEILL ARMOUR RSA, RSW (SCOTTISH 1902-2000) FLOWERS IN A JUG Oil on canvas, signed and dated (19)67, 61 x 61cm (24 x 24") Condition Report: The painting has been lined and on close inspection there is a small area of light cracking in the pigment located near the bottom edge left of middle. Overall the painting is in good condition.
THOMAS BROMLEY BLACKLOCK (SCOTTISH 1863-1903) RESTING BY A WOODED STREAM Oil on canvas board, signed and dated (19)99, 24 x 34cm (9 1/2 x 13 1/2") Condition Report: The canvas board appears slightly uneven in the area adjacent to left edge at middle, but otherwise the painting is in overall good condition.
ATTRIBUTED TO JOHN KNOX (SCOTTISH 1778-1845) IONA CATHEDRAL Oil on canvas, 55 x 76.5cm (21 1/2 x 30") The Scottish National Gallery have in their collection a watercolour, pen and ink over pencil study by John Knox of the same view and approximate date Sold on behalf of the Iona Community Capital Appeal Condition Report: The painting has been lined and on close inspection there is cracking to a fairly light degree of the pigment over most of the surface area of the canvas. Under Ultra violet light there are visible at least seven small individual areas of retouching as well as a cluster of at least six tiny dots of retouching located near the middle of the canvas. There are also two very small damage marks to the pigment visible, one close to the centre of the canvas and the other in close proximity to the bottom left hand corner.
•ROBERT RUSSELL MACNEE GI (SCOTTISH 1880-1952) COTTAGES, HENS AND FIGURES ON A COUNTRY TRACK Oil on canvas, signed, 35.5 x 46cm (14 x 18") Condition Report: On close inspection there are a number of small brown dot marks noticeable over the lighter area of the sky and one slightly larger one located lower middle in the left hand section. These appear to be due to discolouration in the varnish. Overall the painting is in good condition with no significant issues.
MANNER OF ALBERT CUYP ( DUTCH 1620-1691) PIPING SHEPHERDS Oil on canvas, 61.5 x 80.5cm (24 1/4 x 31 3/4") Condition Report: The painting has been lined. On close inspection stretcher bar marks are visible at each edge and fairly light cracking in the pigment is evident over almost the entire surface area. The surface varnish is discoloured and there are generally small marks and marks where slight damage with paint loss has occurred.
WILHELM TSCHETSCHORKE (GERMAN 19TH CENTURY) KONIG FRIEDRICH WILHELM III (AFTER ERNST GEBAUER) Oil on canvas, signed, inscribed 'nach Gebauer' and dated 1839, 76 x 59.5cm (30 x 23 1/2") Condition Report: The painting has been lined. Noticeably there is a small area of damage that has been restored at the top edge at middle and larger areas of restoration are evident in the areas of upper middle and left, within the lower left hand quarter at middle over the uniform, touches along the bottom section and bottom right hand corner area, and small areas from middle up to the top edge in the right hand section.
Alan Price (British/American, 1926-2002) Bird Market in Paris signed 'Alan Price' (lower right); inscibed to verso with the artist's address oil on board 44.50 x 80cm (17 x 31in) The painting has been cleaned and subsequently retouched. Cleaning has also led to areas of the original board showing through, particularly towards the bottom.
§ Kenneth Rowntree, ARWS (British, 1915-1997) Mlle Manicette Canière signed 'Kenneth Rowntree' (lower left) oil on canvas 54 x 46cm (21 x 18in) Other Notes: 'Mlle Manicette Canière' dates from the earlier years of Rowntree's career, characterised as it is by flat plains, a formalised composition, and bold application of paint. This lack of overt detail and paring down of forms was perhaps influenced by his Quaker roots. Throughout the late 1930s and early 1940s, Rowntree infused his work with French influences, having made trips to Gisors in Normandy in 1936, 1938 and 1939. In his earlier triptych, 'Homage to French Culture in the Nineteenth Century' (1938), Rowntree created a colourful tribute to French painting, literature and music on a monumental scale. According to John Milner, this work 'catalogues Rowntree's every French enthusiasm', and is a 'magnificent testament to Rowntree's erudition and delight in French culture'.(John Milner, 'Kenneth Rowntree', Lund Humphries, Aldershot, 2002). 'Mlle Manicette Canière' is not included in a comprehensive catalogue of Rowntree's works compiled by the artist's wife, Diana Buckley, and their son (Tate archives, TGA 200315). Craquelure evident, particularly to the centre of the canvas where vertical line extends across the width of the painting. There is also evidence of extensive cleaning and overpainting to the bottom left, sections under the table cloth, the girl, and approximately six areas directly behind the main figure.
§ Keith Vaughan (British, 1912-1977) Grey Shore Seascape, 1950 oil on hessian laid on board 25 x 34cm (10 x 13in) Literature: Anthony Hepworth and Ian Massey, 'Keith Vaughan, The Mature Oils 1946-1977', Sansom & Company, Bristol, 2012, p. 64, cat.no.AH89 (This catalogue entry states that the painting is signed 'Vaughan') Philip Vann and Gerard Hastings, 'Keith Vaughan', Lund Humphries in association with Osborne Samuel, Surrey, 2012, p.45, ill.39 Other Notes: On the 6th February 1940, Vaughan wrote in his journal: 'There was a mill built against a side water of the creek with a stream piling up against a lock and bursting through into the afternoon. Men loaded something into a large barge, hurriedly…The tide was out, the water had drained off the mud into the single ribbons. It was indescribable as taste, the soft and subtle modulations of colour, amorphous grey mud and red iron and the roots of wood and stumps of broken brickwork and concrete, the hulks of boats with their tarred backs and the sun bleaching and rotting the paintwork'. (Taken from Philip Vann and Gerard Hastings, 'Keith Vaughan', Lund Humphries in association with Osborne Samuel, Surrey, 2012, pp.44-45). The spot mentioned in Vaughan's journal was near to Pagham, West Sussex, where Vaughan's friend and lover, Harold Colebrook's aunt, owned a converted railway carriage. They would spend holidays there between 1935 and 1939, often accompanied by friends. The image must have had a profound impact on Vaughan as he produced numerous paintings of the subject including 'Fishermen and Bathers' (1951), (private collection) and 'Grey Shore with Boat' (Bonhams, London, June 13 2008, lot 4). The gritty appearance of the beach appears to have been achieved by the artist mixing material into the paint, probably sand. At the lower left corner there is a diagonal scratch running through the seated figure. Under ultraviolet light this area appears very dark, suggesting it has been retouched. The area of the beach has been repainted, this appears to cover a lighter green colour which has been varnished. It seems likely that the reworking has been carried out by the artist rather than a later restoration, the legs of the small figure in front of a building at the top of the work appears to be applied over the top. There is also a very minor incision to the board in the top left corner.
§ Evelyn May Gibbs (British, 1905-1991) Galway Harbour signed 'Gibbs' (lower right); signed, inscribed to verso with title and artist's address oil on board 50 x 60cm (20 x 23in) Provenance: Acquired by Hertfordshire County Council in 1947 (label verso) Other Notes: Evelyn May Gibbs began her artistic career at the Liverpool College of Art, followed by the Royal College of Art. She won the Prix de Rome Scholarship in 1929 and later accepted a teaching post at Goldsmiths. During World War II, she was evacuated to Nottingham with the rest of the school and it was there that she founded the Midland Group of Artists in 1943. Gibbs travelled extensively throughout her career, and many of her best-known landscapes are a product of her travels. 'Galway Harbour' (1947) was most likely produced following her 1946 trip to Ireland, and is one of a series of landscapes depicting the area around Dublin and Galway. Gibbs' work is now part of the permanent collection at the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert, and the Ashmolean. A 'lost' wall painting by her was discovered at Bilborough Church in Nottingham during a restoration project in 2014. The painting has been cleaned and varnished at some point, which has led to the grain of the underlying board showing through slightly in places, particularly the lower left. There is some paint loss to the top left corner and additional damage to the board in the same area. An inch-long crack is evident towards the top edge.
Louis James (Australian, 1920-1996) Boy with Dog signed and dated 'Louis James 48' (lower left) oil on board 34.50 x 44cm (13 x 17in) Other Notes: An Australian by birth, Louis James joined the Royal South Australian Society of Artists during World War II and gained national renown in the wake of his first solo exhibition at the John Martin's Gallery, Adelaide. Following the war, James settled in London and became a member of the Artists International Association. He was notably influenced by the Suffolk-born painter, Alan Reynolds, regularly exhibited works alongside the London Group, and had a number of exhibitions at the Redfern Gallery. A major retrospective of his work was held at the Bonython-Meadmore Gallery in Adelaide, and his work is now part of the permanent collection at the Tate Gallery.Oil on board. The paint layers have been thickly built up creating an unusual surface texture to the work. Overall the paint layers are in a good condition. There are scattered spatters of white paint across the painting, it is unclear if these are original to the painting. There is a thin layer of locally applied varnish.
§ John Bainbridge Copnall (British, 1928-2007) Red Landscape near Cordoba signed and dated 'John Copnall 59' (upper left) oil on board 36 x 49cm (14 x 19in) Other Notes: Copnall gained a place at the Royal Academy School in 1949, winning the prestigious Turner Gold Medal for Landscape Painting in his final year. After his first solo show at the Piccadilly Gallery in 1955, he regularly exhibited his work across England and Spain. Copnall lived in Spain between 1955 and 1968, having fallen in love with the Iberian landscape after a short visit he made with his friend, Burt Flugelman, in 1954. After the breakdown of his marriage, Copnall moved to the mountains north of Malaga where the intense light and heat of the arid Spanish landscape greatly influenced his work. He often experimented with bold, earthy colours, leading to a move towards abstraction. The painting shows evidence of light cleaning, with minimal paint loss. Some minor cracks in places.
§ Sylvia Gosse, RBA, RE, SWA (British, 1881-1968) Red Lion Square signed 'Gosse' (lower left) oil on canvas 44 x 34cm (17 x 13in) Following in the footsteps of both her mother and aunt, the latter of whom was married to the renowned painter Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912), Gosse studied at the St John's School of Art and later at the Royal Academy Schools. In 1908, Gosse met the artist Walter Sickert (1860-1942) who was particularly impressed with her artistic talent and potential. She enrolled in the artist's evening classes at Westminster School in 1909, and later in Sickert's new art school. Sickert's stylistic influence remains evident in Gosse's impasto technique, as well as in her continued portrayal of both street scenes and domestic interiors. Gosse eventually took over the running of the 'Sickert and Gosse School of Painting and Etching', taught students, and according to the art historian Wendy Baron, influenced Sickert's later work. Gosse exhibited extensively from 1911 at the New England Art Club, the Royal Academy and the Carfax Gallery. An extensive number of her works can now be found in major public collections including the Tate, the British Museum, and the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.Oil on a coarse weave canvas support. There is an artists' suppliers stamp on the reverse which is difficult to decipher. The canvas has good tension and is in plane. There is minor abrasion to the paint layer at the upper left corner, otherwise the paint layer is in a good condition. The painting has a varnish layer which has yellowed with age but is glossy and even. There is a light layer of surface dirt present.
Sheila Rayns (British, 20th Century) The Waiter's Strike signed 'Rayns' (lower left) oil on board 29.50 x 45cm (12 x 18in) The painting was cleaned at some stage, which has resulted in the grain of the underlying wooden panel showing through in darker areas of the painting. Some of the figures have also most likely been retouched. There are small white paint spatters to the right side.
Arnup (British, 20th century) Panique, a London street scene signed with initials 'J(?) A' (lower right) oil on canvas 62 x 74cm (24 x 29in) There is cracking to the centre of the canvas that extends across the width of the painting. Further white paint spatters are located near the left edge. There is also evidence of extensive cleaning of overpainting.
§ Sir Robert Vere "Robin" Darwin, KCB, CBE, RA, RSA, PRWA, NEAC (British, 1910-1974) Three-Legged Race signed 'Darwin' (lower left) oil on board 68 x 45.50cm (27 x 18in) Other Notes: Sir Robert Darwin studied at the University of Cambridge and later at the Slade School of Fine Art. Darwin gained renown for his well-known report 'The Training of an Industrial Designer' and proposed changes to the curriculum at the Royal College of Art, which led to his appointment as principal of the school in 1948. He held this post until 1971 and oversaw a particularly famous period of the school's history, later termed 'the Darwin era'. He painted a range of subjects throughout his career, although the populated landscape was one of his most frequent subjects. 'Three-legged Race' is a representative example of Darwin's wider oeuvre, which was characterised by an impressionistic painting technique and tonal harmonies. There are small spatters of white paint to the two central figures, as well as evidence of extensive cleaning which has resulted in a very flat surface. This has resulted in the grain of the underlying wood showing through along the bottom portion of the painting.
§ David Tindle, RA, HRBSA, RE (British, b.1932) Snow and Poles signed and dated 'David Tindle 1958' (lower right) oil on canvas 49.50 x 75cm (19 x 29in) The painting has been cleaned and retouched in places, especially large areas of the sky. In areas of darker colour, some of the underlying canvas weave shows through.
§ James Boswell (New Zealand/British, 1906-1971) Going Swimming signed and dated 'Boswell 56' (lower left) oil on board 60 x 75cm (23 x 29in) Provenance: Whitechapel Gallery, London, 'Pictures For Schools', 1958 The board is slightly loose in the frame, especially towards the top, which has caused subsequent loss of paint along the top edge. There are also two small white paint spatters toward the right edge. At some point, the painting has been subjected to a light cleaning and subsequent retouching.
§ Robert MacBryde (Scottish, 1913-1966) Still life with an oil lamp and a basket of eggs on a table signed 'MacBryde' (lower left) oil on canvas 74.50 x 59cm (29 x 23in) Other Notes: Robert MacBryde was a popular artist with council authorities; both Cambridgeshire and Leicestershire purchased still life paintings for their collections. Unlike these pictures, however - which were both exhibited at the National Gallery of Scotland's exhibition, 'The Two Roberts: Robert Colquhoun & Robert MacBryde' in 2014 - the Hertfordshire MacBryde is a work previously unknown to scholars. Although we do not know when the picture was executed, stylistically, it fits in with several works painted by Macbyde between 1955-60. The similarity of titles and the absence of dimensions in MacBryde's exhibition catalogues around this period makes it difficult to establish the provenance of the present picture. We do know that Cambridgeshire County Council purchased their still life, 'Red and Black Still Life' from the Kaplan Gallery, London 'Recent Paintings by Robert MacBryde', April 1960'. We are grateful to Roger Bristow for his kind assistance with this catalogue entry.Oil on canvas which is unlined. The paint layers have been thickly applied. In many areas the paint passages have been built up in several layers which have a different appearance under ultraviolet light, this appears to be part of the artist's technique rather than a later reworking. There are drying cracks in some areas of the painting which have formed as the paint layer has dried. There are localised areas of cracking in the paint layers, some with slightly raised edges. There are light scuffs and scratches to the surface and layer of dirt and dust.The painting was likely cleaned at some stage, which may have resulted in the fading of the signature.
§ Rowland Suddaby (British, 1912-1972) The Fen, Cornard, Suffolk; with a sketch to the reverse of an interior scene with figures seated around a table signed and dated 'R. Suddaby 47' (lower right) oil on canvas 49.50 x 59.50cm (19 x 23in) There is light craquelure to the painting throughout, as well as evidence of some cleaning and retouching.
John Fitzgerald (British, 20th Century) Dover Front signed and dated 'Fitz 56' (lower right) oil on board 29 x 66cm (11 x 26in) Provenance: Whitechapel Gallery, London, 'Pictures For Schools', 1958 Painting been subjected to evident clearing. Some subsequent overpainting is also apparent, particularly to the area underneath the train towards the left edge of the board. White paint spattering near the left edge. There is additionally minor paint loss along the right edge.
§ Richard Eurich, OBE, RA (British, 1903-1992) Catching the Pony signed 'R Eurich' (lower right) oil on board 24.50 x 34.50cm (10 x 13in) Exhibited: London, The Redfern Gallery, 'Paintings for Children by Richard Eurich', 10-28 April, 1949, cat.no7 (label verso) Other Notes: We are grateful to Philippa Bambach, Christine Clearkin and Edward Chaney for their kind assistance with this catalogue entry.Oil on artists' board. The paint layer is in a good, stable condition overall. There are localised areas of retouching in the central area of the painting, for example between the pony's legs. There has possibly been some reworking in the sky.
§ Julian Trevelyan, RA (British, 1910-1988) Oxen signed and dated 'Trevelyan 54' (lower right) oil on canvas 49 x 59cm (19 x 23in) Other Notes: Julian wrote in November 1955: 'My Oxen was the final picture of a series of paintings I made in Italy and in my studio in 1954 following a holiday staying with friends in a villa in the country near Siena. I made many drawings of oxen ploughing, hauling and being shod... I have also made an etching of more or less the same composition'. (Although the exact source of this letter has not been traced, it has been suggested that it was written by Trevelyan when the Tate Gallery acquired their painting in 1955). Trevelyan produced many variations on the theme of oxen and five artworks were included in an exhibition at the Zwemmer Gallery, London, October-November 1955, where he exhibited with Kathleen Allen. A similar painting, 'Oxen' (1955) is in the Tate, London and a smaller version, 'Oxen Pulling a Cart', was sold in these rooms, November 26 2009, lot 54 and realised £2000 (including BP). We are grateful to Philip Trevelyan for his kind assistance with this catalogue entry.Slightly loose canvas and small scratch the horn of the right ox.
§ Frank Archer, ARCA, ARE, RE, ARWS, RWS (British, 1912-1995) Dead Boat signed 'Frank Archer' (lower right); signed and with the artist's address to verso oil on canvas 68.50 x 90cm (27 x 35in) Other Notes: A painter and etcher, Frank Archer was born in Walthamstow, East London, and studied at the Royal College of Art. He won the Prix de Rome in 1938 and occupied various teaching posts until his retirement in 1972. He regularly exhibited at the Royal Academy, and a major retrospective of his work was held at the Bankside Gallery in 1992. Italy remained a major source of inspiration throughout his work, and Archer's separation of colour into geometric planes was inspired by stained glass and byzantine mosaics. The canvas has been relined and cleaned at some point. As a result, some areas of the underlying canvas weave show through towards the bottom. There are also some small areas of paint loss towards the top of the painting.
§ Rodrigo Moynihan, RA (British, 1910-1990) Self portrait signed and dated 'R Moynihan 38' (lower right) oil on canvas 38 x 28.50cm (15 x 11in) Other Notes: Rodrigo Moynihan began his painting career in the wake of a trip to Rome in the winter of 1927-1928. He had moved to London prior to this and began his education at the Slade School of Fine Art in 1928. In the 1930s, he was a member of the Objective Abstraction movement, but became associated with the Euston Road School from 1937 onwards, turning instead to figurative art and social realism. 'Self-Portrait' (1938) was painted in the years immediately preceding his appointment to the British army (1940-43), during which time he was commissioned by the War Artist's Advisory Committee to paint several military portraits. Painted just before he enlisted, Moynihan portrays himself in the guise of a soldier - the low viewpoint and boldly frontal pose conveying an image of strength. In 1948, Moynihan became a professor at the Royal College of Art and received several important portrait commissions, including the then Princess Elizabeth and Prime Minister Clement Atlee. There is a repair to the bottom of the canvas. Shows evidence of cleaning, and significant overpainting, particularly to the figure's black shirt. The painting has also been varnished.
§ William Brooker (British, 1918-1983) Millbank in Winter signed and dated 'Brooker 51' (lower right) oil on panel 29.50 x 60cm (12 x 23in) Craquelure evident along the grain of the wooden panel, particularly about ¾ of the way up the painting where a single crack extends across the width of the painting. There is a 1.5 in split in the paint, where the underlying wood shows through. There is a further circular indentation toward the top of the image. Overall, the painting has been subjected to extensive cleaning.
§ Hazel Ward (British, 1928-2010) Shop front, South Kensington - 'Mrs Birch, Furnisher & Decorator' signed 'HAZEL WARD' 'lower left' oil on canvas 61.50 x 73.50cm (24 x 29in) Provenance: Tate Gallery, London, 'Pictures For Schools', 1948 The painting shows evidence of cleaning and subsequent retouching, particularly to the bottom half of the sky. Areas of the canvas weave also show through slightly towards the bottom. There is also some slight pain loss towards the top of the picture.
§ Michael Ayrton (British, 1921-1975) Encounter No. 1 signed and dated 'Michael Ayrton 47' (upper right) oil on board 20.50 x 14.50cm (8 x 6in) Provenance: The Redfern Gallery, London, 1949 Other Notes: Michael Ayrton first made his name as a painter, associated with the wartime British Neo?Romantics alongside Graham Sutherland, John Piper and Paul Nash. Yet his reputation today rests largely on his work as a sculptor of large, figurative bronzes related to Greek mythology and, in particular, the Minotaur. The painting, 'Encounter', completed in 1948 and exhibited at the Redfern Gallery the following year, records an interesting and important stage in the shift of vision which started him on this apparently unusual career path. In 1947, as soon as the wartime travel restrictions were lifted, Ayrton made his first visit to Italy where, in his own words 'he fell deeply under the spell of the early Renaissance. Masaccio and Piero della Francesca became supremely important' (Michael Ayrton, 'Drawings and Sculpture', [Cory, Adams & Mackay], 1966). He became fascinated by the intricate perspective and expressive geometry of their work, as well as by the countryside in which they had lived and which they had painted. Arriving in Rome, he travelled widely: south to Naples then north to Genoa and Florence, by train or coach as opportunity or convenience dictated, seeking out everywhere the images of masters who inspired him. Most of the paintings which emerged from these travels are of sun-drenched beaches and hill towns set in countryside bleached by the harsh, Mediterranean light. Among these, 'Encounter' stands out by virtue of its comparatively sombre palette and distinctly urban setting. It is probably a memory of the port of Livorno, through which Ayrton passed on the Naples to Genoa coach. Today a thriving port serving the cruise ships bringing tourists to Florence, Livorno, in the years immediately following the War, was a desolate place, heavily bombed by the Allies; its docks may well have reminded Ayrton of the Thames foreshore which he had been painting extensively in the months leading up to his departure. 'Encounter' provides us with an image both timeless and yet also distinctively modern: unlike the fishermen of Ischia or the vine-cutters of the Tuscan hills, these figures could only exist in the twentieth century - and in doing so, they mark the beginning of Ayrton's realisation that wherever his inspirations might come from 'I have to use the data in my own time and the result has to be of my own time. The time shift simply provides part of the equation' (Michael Ayrton, 'A Silence Filled with Greek' in John Matthews, Labrys 3: Michael Ayrton issue, 1978). It was a recognition which would fuel all his later work as he plunged ever deeper into the mythical world of Ancient Greece, while keeping his feet and his imagination firmly rooted in the currents and dilemmas of contemporary life. In the year that 'Encounter' was completed, Ayrton visited Pisa, where he encountered the work of the 14th century master, Giovanni Pisano, and for the first time began seriously to consider making sculpture of his own. That his painting was already itself becoming increasingly sculptural is apparent from this painting: it is not large, yet the figures have a monumentality which belies their actual dimensions, and the way in which their bodies relate to each other - the tensions generated between them, and within the intricately orchestrated objects and spaces around them - creates the illusion of three dimensions within two with absolute conviction. By the 1950s, Ayrton would come to feel that his figures had become too solid for their support and the frustration would propel him finally into his first sculptures, but in 'Encounter' the balance remains exact and expressive: a frozen moment that might indeed have been glimpsed from the window of a passing coach and of exactly the kind he had described with reference to Piero and Masaccio, enigmatic and impersonal, yet with a compelling reality about setting and figures which presents us with a story commanding our interest even though we cannot know its details. We are grateful to Justine Hopkins for her kind assistance with this catalogue entry.Oil on hardboard. Paint layer is in a good condition. Around the edges there is an uneven surface texture - probably caused by another painting on hardboard being leant against the work before the paint had dried. Between the figure's heads there is a matte area of paint which fluoresces dark under UV - this is likely to be retouching.
§ Nan Youngman, OBE (British, 1906-1995) Seashore and Boats signed and dated 'Nan Youngman' (lower left) oil on canvas 50 x 60cm (20 x 23in) There are two attempted repairs to the back of the canvas; one of which unsuccessfully applied wax to an original tear of approximately 8cm. The smaller tear also extends approximately 6cm. The painting also shows evidence of cleaning, retouching, and a subsequent varnish.
§ John Bainbridge Copnall (British, 1928-2007) White House with Pita (Cactus) signed 'John Copnall' (upper left) oil on canvas 59.50 x 89.50cm (23 x 35in) The canvas shows evidence of relining and extensive cleaning, which has led to some wearing away of the top layers of paint. This is particularly evident to the top and bottom right. The painting has also been varnished.
§ Walter Horst Nessler (German/British, 1912-2001) Jersey signed 'Nessler' (lower left) oil on canvas 39.50 x 50cm (15 x 20in) Other Notes: Born in Leipzig, Germany, Nessler began his artistic career at the Castelli Italian School of Art, Dresden. Despite not being Jewish, he strongly opposed National Socialism, and eventually moved to London in 1937, joining the British army shortly thereafter. After the war, he studied sculpture at St Martin's School of Art and travelled to Paris, meeting the likes of Cocteau, Sartre, Picasso, Giacometti and Matisse. French modernism, particularly Cubism, exerted a strong influence on his subsequent work. The bright colours and geometric planes used to depict the landscape surrounding Jersey, the subject of numerous works in the early 1950s, reveals the artist's optimistic post-war outlook. Nessler first exhibited his work at the Molon Gallery in 1961. He also took part in several group exhibitions at the Royal Academy, the Royal Society of British Artists, and commercial galleries in London, the provinces, and abroad. A retrospective of his work was held in 1990, which coincided with his increasing recognition in Germany. Nessler's works are now held in numerous public collections internationally.Oil on canvas. On the reverse of the painting is an area of modern adhesive which appears to be a crude repair to a tear at the right of the painting. Around this area are raised flakes of paint. The area appears pink under ultraviolet light suggesting it may have been retouched or reworked following the damage. Quite extensive cracking throughout.
§ Nan Youngman, OBE (British, 1906-1995) Morning in Dieppe signed and dated 'Nan Youngman 1947' (lower left) oil on canvas 58 x 43cm (23 x 17in) Provenance: Whitechapel Gallery, London, 'Pictures For Schools', 1949 The painting has been cleaned, waxed and varnished at some stage. There is also evidence of minor craquelure throughout.
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