John Duncan Fergusson

Alex Reid & Lefevre, London
Sale, Christie's Glasgow, 30th April 1986, lot 170
Duncan R. Miller Fine Arts, London
Private collection, U.K.

London, Stafford Gallery, Paintings by J. D. Fergusson, 1912, cat. no.36 (probably);
New York, Whitney Studio, John Duncan Fergusson, 1926, cat. no.18;
Glasgow, Glasgow Art Gallery, Scottish Paintings, 1961, cat. no.153;
St Andrews, Crawford Centre for the Arts and the Scottish Arts Council, J. D. Fergusson, 1905-1915: A Work in Progress, 1982;
London, Duncan R. Miller Fine Arts, J. D. Fergusson, 1990, cat. no.17;
London, Duncan R. Miller Fine Arts, The Scottish Colourists, 2000, cat. no.30;
London, Duncan R. Miller Fine Arts, J. D. Fergusson: The Scottish Colourists, 2011, cat. no.20.

Original canvas. There are some minor frame abrasions along the upper and left edges and the upper half of the right edge. There is also a very faint area of craquelure near the centre of the upper edge and another very small spot a few centimetres above the dash of green paint near the centre of the right edge; otherwise the work appears in good overall condition with strong passages of impasto. ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT There are a few specks of retouching to old frame abrasions along the centre of the right edge, a speck to the upper right edge and to the centre of the lower edge. FRAME Held in a gilt plaster frame. Please telephone the department on 0207 293 6424 if you have any questions about the present work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

'...their palettes became paler and fresher and their brushwork, more fluent in handling.  They developed the facility to convey the essence of their subject matter with breathtaking simplicity using thick, creamy paint, applied with seemingly effortless skill...' (Kirstin Simister, Living Paint: J.D. Fergusson 1894-1961, 2001, p.23).

The present work dates from 1909 when Fergusson was living in Paris.  He and Samuel John Peploe had enjoyed annual painting holidays in Normandy since the turn of the century but Fergusson settled permanently at 18, Boulevard Edgar Quinet, Paris, in 1907. Of all the artistic influences that Fergusson absorbed during this period, none was greater than that of Edouard Manet, whose work he viewed at the Salle Caillebotte and Durand Ruel's Gallery. There is a tangible indulgence evident in the application of paint to the present work;  the brushwork usurps form and finish as the flowers, vase, wall and table-top are rendered with the same rich, free and fluid handling of impasto, resulting in a notable harmony of composition. This creates a sense of celebration in such common, everyday objects, yet the composition remains uncontrived with a delightfully careless and natural arrangement of flowers. As Fergusson himself describes it, 'This substance is reality, it is the fullness and richness of things made apparent to the painter by light and creates a feeling of the fullness of things, like rich earth, foliage, clouds etc' (J.D. Fergusson, Modern Scottish Painting, Glasgow, 1943, p.37).

Fergusson's place in the artistic milieu of pre-war Paris was confirmed in 1909 when he was elected a societaire of the Salon d'Automne.  He recalled his reaction to this accolade, 'To me, considering myself a revolutionary, this was a very great honour – and being based on the Glasgow School, it had the effect of confirming my feeling of independence, the greatest thing in the world, not merely in art but in everything.  I'll die fighting for it' (Margaret Morris, The Art of J.D. Fergusson, Blackie, 1974, p.53).