- 5
John Craxton, R.A.
Description
- John Craxton, R.A.
- ELEGIAC FIGURE (IN MEMORY OF PETER WATSON)
- signed and dated 57-59
- tempera on board
- 121 by 102.5cm.; 47½ by 40½in.
Provenance
Jonathan Clark & Co., London, where acquired by the present owner
Exhibited
London, Whitechapel Art Gallery, John Craxton, Paintings and Drawings 1941 - 1966, January - February 1967, unnumbered catalogue, illustrated.
Literature
Ian Collins, John Craxton, Lund Humphries, Farnham, 2011, p.122, illustrated pl.150.
Condition
"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."
Catalogue Note
Peter Watson (1908-1956) was a pivotal 1940s collector of beautiful things and brilliant young men – co-founding the Horizon review of literature and art and the Institute of Contemporary Arts, as well as funding Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon. For John Craxton he was “the key to everything”. His premature death prompted the painting of this heart-felt tribute, which evolved not only between the given dates but through the 1960s also. The piece was considerably revised after its inclusion in Craxton’s Whitechapel Gallery retrospective of 1967.
We are very grateful to Ian Collins for his kind assistance in the cataloguing of the present work. Ian Collins is currently preparing the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the Artist's work and would like to hear from owners of any work by the artist so that these can be included in this comprehensive catalogue. Please write to Ian Collins, c/o Sotheby's, Modern & Post-War British Art, London, W1A 2AA.