Christopher Wood

Lucy Wertheim
Crane Kalman Gallery, London, where acquired by Mrs. R. Lambert, March 1983
Sale, Sotheby's London, 21st May 1986, lot 168, where acquired by Lord & Lady Attenborough

London, New Burlington Galleries, Christopher Wood, 3rd March - 2nd April 1938, cat. no.308.

Eric Newton, Christopher Wood, Redfern Gallery, London, 1938, cat. no.365.

Original canvas. The canvas undulates slightly in places, but is sound. There are two or three very minor lines of very fine craquelure, only visible upon very close inspection. One or two of the impasto elements are very slightly flattened. There are areas of light surface dirt to the work. Subject to the above the work is in excellent overall condition. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals no obvious signs of florescence or re-touching. The work is held within a simply moulded gilt and painted wood frame with a painted wood slip. 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."

With a further painting of flowers in a jar by the same hand to the reverse.

We are grateful to Robert Upstone, who is preparing the forthcoming Christopher Wood catalogue raisonné, for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work.

                ‘Am I wrong in thinking that the human spirit is astir – is there a tremor among young artists who are seeking to transpose the images of the inner world into the landscape of outer manifestation?
                To those young artists, forests are not geographical places, but labyrinths of the mind – the sea is not so much saltwater, but the ebb and flow and depth of anguish.
                Boats are not crafts for the fish trade but courage itself – gusting off with set sail into the foul weather to an unknown destination beyond the unknown horizon.
                To those young artists who are using this realism, Kit Wood was a forerunner.’

(Winifred Nicholson, introduction to Christopher Wood, Arts Council, 1979, reproduced in Andrew Nicholson (ed.), Unknown Colour: Paintings, Letters, Writings by Winifred Nicholson, Faber and Faber, London, 1987, pp.81-82)