John Maclauchlan Milne

Purchased by Frank More of Edinburgh, probably in the 1930s, and thence by descent to the present owners

The board appears to be in sound order and the work in good overall condition. There are some minor areas of very localised craquelure, visible only on close inspection. Otherwise the work appears to be clean and ready to hang. UV light inspection reveals some possible retouching to the framing edges and some minor touches to the top of the chandelier. Held in a simple painted wooden 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."

The fluid brushwork of the present lot is reminiscent of Cadell’s view of the Assembly Rooms (1908) and Fergusson’s A Montmartre Nightclub (1907), both of which evoke similarly bustling social scenes. Such spontaneous interior scenes are rarely found in the artist’s oeuvre, with Milne typically favouring landscape scenes of the Côte d’Azur, St Tropez and, later, his beloved Isle of Arran. Milne’s artistic style is  characterised by broad brushwork and was heavily influenced by the painting of Cézanne; by contrast the looser, more dynamic application of paint in The Ballroom, Paris invokes a sense of swirling motion. Milne is known to have painted at the fashionable Parisian restaurant the Café d'Harcourt, which was frequented more than ten years earlier by John Duncan Fergusson and was the subject of pictures such as In the Café d'Harcourt (Sotheby's, Gleneagles, 30 August 2006, lot 1027) and Crème de Menthe (Sotheby's, Gleneagles, 30 August 2000, lot 1285).