JOHN CRAXTON, R.A. | Workman

Acquired directly from the Artist by the family of the present owner

The sheet has been fully laid down to a masonite-like board. The sheet and board have been worked by the artist, including dleiberate rubbings and scoring. As such the surface is uneven in line with the artist's original intention. There are scattered losses with associated lifting at and towards the edges of the work, with a loss and reattachment to the lower right corner and a prominent loss towards the left of the lower edge. There are further scattered losses and associated lifting across the board, most visible in the lower third and upper quarter. There is some blooming to the paint surface, particularly visible in the face of the figure. There are a small number of accretions and some surface dirt and studio matter in places. The work is held behind glass in a painted wooden frame with a 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."

We are grateful to Ian Collins for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work. In the summer of 1960 John Craxton moved from Hydra to a dilapidated Venetian house on the harbour at Chania. The resulting restoration project would be a work in progress for the rest of his life, with advances set back by absences, storms and earthquakes. Building work that first autumn prompted a series of portraits of Cretan labourers alongside panoramas of remembered and imagined Hydra. This story is currently being told in the free British Museum exhibition Charmed Lives in Greece: Ghika, Craxton, Leigh Fermor (until 15th July).

Ian Collins.