Arthur John Elsley

Sale: Philips, London, December 16, 1997, lot 64, illustrated

London, Institute of Painters in Oil Colours, 1893, no. 424

Terry Parker, Golden Hours, The Paintings of Arthur J. Elsley 1860-1952, Somerset, England, 1998, p. 22, illustrated

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This painting has been recently restored and should be hung as is. The canvas has been lined with glue. The surface is stable and still well textured. The paint layer has been cleaned, lightly varnished and there appear to be no retouches. The paint layer seems to be in beautiful state
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Painted circa 1893.

Arthur J. Elsley's Peep Bo!  is a dynamic and vibrant painting of two young girls and a baby playing in the fields.  The eldest girl swings a smiling baby down towards the younger girl, who apparently has just dashed up to the twosome, arms extended and skirt blowing behind her. In two other known instances, Elsley incorporated the feature of windswept hair to convey movement (see Terry Parker, Golden Hours, pp. 23, 28).  To enhance the sense of motion in Peep Bo! Elsley creates a strong diagonal emphasis from the upper left corner - the ribbons on the baby's bonnet - to the lower right corner - the extended foot of the middle child. Elsley's sketchy and spontaneous brushstroke and bright palette adds to the energy of the scene and the contrasting patterns on the eldest girl's clothing further increase the visual excitement.