Edith Hayllar

Sotheby's, London, 23 March 1981, lot 58

The canvas has been lined. Some small abrasions along upper edge and faint line of gilt paint rubbed from the frame. There is some very minor craquelure in the two children on the steps and some very minor flecks of paint loss near the centre of the work, only visible upon very close inspection; otherwise the work appears in good overall condition, presentable and ready to hang. Ultraviolet light reveals an opaque varnish. There is a diagonal line of retouching approximately 7cm. long in the water by the lower right edge, which relates to a repaired tear. Another line of retouching approximately 3cm. across, above right of the seated woman on the steps. Further areas of retouching in the water and some scattered flecks in the upper half of the work. Held in a gilt plaster frame.
"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."

Edith was one of the four talented daughters of the artist James Hayllar, all of whom exhibited at the Royal Academy. From 1875 the Hayllar family rented a large eighteenth century house, Castle Priory on the banks of the Thames at Wallingford in Oxfordshire. The interior and garden of Castle Priory became the subject for many of the artists’ pictures and it is possible that the summer house in Feeding the Swans was a folly on their estate – its Doric columns echo the classical architecture of the house. Edith usually used her own family or local villagers for her paintings, which have; ‘great charm and naturalness of observation, recording in an exact but unpretentious way the life of a Victorian middle-class family.’ (Christopher Wood, Dictionary of Victorian Painters, 1987, p.213)