Ivon Hitchens

Leicester Galleries, London where acquired by Lady Trustram Eve, March 1949, and thence by descent
Sale, Sotheby's London, 6th October 1993, lot 255, where acquired by David Bowie

London, Leicester Galleries, Recent Paintings by Ivon Hitchens, March 1949, cat. no.15;
London, Leicester Galleries, Catalogue of Exhibition of Paintings from 1940 - 1952 by Ivon Hitchens, 1952, cat. no.30.

Not examined out of the frame. Original canvas. The canvas undulates very slightly in the upper and lower right corners, but otherwise appears sound. There are a few extremely tiny instances of frame abrasion along the central upper horizontal edge, visible only upon extremely close inspection. There is a small fleck of loss to the dark blue pigment just to the right of centre, and there is a tiny line of cracking and a knock to the tip of the white pigment near the centre of the canvas. Subject to the above, the work appears to be in excellent overall condition. Ultraviolet light reveals no obvious signs of fluorescence or retouching. The work is presented in an ornate gilt wood and plaster frame, with a painted wooden slip, held under glass. There are some losses and cracking to the frame. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding 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."

Bright, contrasting colours and bold, gestural brushstrokes create a lively rhythmic movement across the canvas of The Boathouse No. 3. Ivon Hitchens, in fact, wrote about the musicality of his works in the only general statement that he published on his painting theory, ‘Notes on Painting’, printed in the journal of the Royal College of Art in 1956: ‘My pictures are painted to be "listened" to… I should like things to fall into place with so clear a notion that the spectator’s eye and "aesthetic ear" shall receive a clear message, a clear tune. I seek to recreate the truth of nature by making my own song about it (in paint)… this creation must satisfy me as being true to life, though not naturalistically accurate’ (the Artist, ‘Notes on Painting’, reproduced in Peter Khoroche, Ivon Hitchens, Lund Humphries, Aldershot, 2007, p.81). Though often similar in subject and format, each of Hitchens’ landscapes sings a distinct ‘song’ that lures the viewer into its mysterious depths.

Hitchens further discussed how an artist may create visual sound, explaining that the painter’s ‘orchestra’ is composed of seven ‘instruments’: ‘line, form, plane, shape, tone, nōtan, colour’ and organized by seven compositional principles: ‘opposition,  transition, subordination, rhythm, repetition, symmetry and balance’ (the Artist, ibid, p.84). Guided by these tools, Hitchens’ landscapes are the counterpoint to figuration and abstraction and conjure the spirit of the place as poetically as music conveys emotion. In The Boathouse No. 3, juxtaposed patches of vibrant colours create familiar forms: a pond surrounded by lush foliage, an unimposing boat house, and a receding path emerge amidst painterly passages. Characteristic of his landscape paintings, the low horizontal format encourages a longer reading of the complex composition, allowing the scenery to gradually unfold, and complements Hitchens’ focus on undergrowth and pools rather than sprawling skies.

When Hitchens’ home and studio were bombed in 1940, the artist and his family left wartime London for the relative safety of Sussex where they had bought six acres of land the previous year.  Far removed from the pressures and stimulus of contemporary artistic movements, Hitchens was able to focus on his paintings with a single-minded devotion and newfound clarity. The tranquil Sussex woodland served as an inexhaustible source of inspiration, enabling Hitchens to develop a unique pictorial language that gives The Boathouse No. 3 and other works from his naturalistic oeuvre their distinct melodic quality.