- 301
William Scott, R.A.
Description
- William Scott, R.A.
- Permutation 3 - White
- signed and dated 78 on the reverse
- oil on canvas
- 121.5 by 198cm.; 48 by 78in.
Provenance
Exhibited
Toronto, Gallery Moos, William Scott, 1978, cat. no.5 (as Permutation White).
Literature
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
The present work is a major example from the artist's Permutations series, which he began in late 1977 and finished in the spring of 1978 - one of his last to deal with the still-life subject on such a large and comprehensive scale. It consisted of seven canvases, of which this is the third, with the dominant colour included in the title (another example, Permutations 7 – Grey was sold in these rooms, 9 May 2007, lot 150).
In 1953, Heron remarked that Scott ‘has a strength and directness – that of pure intuition – which quite precludes the soft picturesqueness and prettiness which so much English painting – even of an “abstract” order – cannot escape, it seems’ (Michael Tooby and Simon Morley, William Scott, Paintings and Drawings, Irish Museum of Modern Art, 2004, p.8). Such insight is explicitly seen in the daringly sparse space of undisturbed colour in Permutations 3 – White, the absence of any literal reference and the simplicity of the delineated forms. It is in these works that the purity and force of Scott’s vision is paramount.
We are grateful to the William Scott Archive for their kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work, which is registered with the William Scott Archive as number 918.