William Scott, R.A.

Martha Jackson Gallery, New York
Elga Duval, New York
Sale, Sotheby's, London, 28th June 1984, lot 646

London, The Tate Gallery, William Scott,: Paintings, Drawings and Gouaches 1938-1971, 19 April - 29 May 1972, no.84, illustrated in the catalogue.

The canvas is unlined and appears to be in good original condition. There is a faint arc visible in the upper right quadrant (c.5in. in length) that seems to have been caused by a scratch from behind, resulting in some very faint cracking to the paint surface at the upper end. Otherwise, the paint surface appears to be sound and stable throughout, and is marked only by an accumulation of dirt and the occasional fly spot. The work would benefit greatly from a good, professional clean. Inspection under UV light does not reveal any later retouchings. Presented unframed, the work would also benefit from more sympathetic presentation.
"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."

This work is registered in the William Scott Archive as no. 176.
Sarah Whitfield is currently preparing the Catalogue Raisonne of works in oil by William Scott.  The William Scott Foundation would like to hear from owners of any work by the artist so that these can be included in this comprehensive catalogue or in future projected catalogues.  Please write to Sarah Whitfield c/o Sotheby's, 20th Century British Art Department, 34-35 New Bond Street, London W1A 2AA.

In November 1963, William and Mary Scott moved to Berlin on the invitation of the Ford Foundation for Scott to take part in the Berliner Kunstlerprogramm, an artist-in-residency programe, run by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). The residency lasted 12 months and William and Mary stayed on for a few extra months before returning to England in 1965 when they moved to Bennetts Hill Farm, Coleford (see lot 138 for further discussion of Scott's time in Berlin). 

The residency proved extremely successful both in terms of output and artistic development and Scott developed several new motifs including what Norbert Lynton has termed the 'wig-stand' figure that dominates the present work.  It made its first appearance in Whites (1964, Coll. Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland) and although the so-called 'wig-stand' form is a somewhat foreshortened figure, it is a subject that had already been a long term pre-occupation for Scott as he recalls that 'figure and portrait painting, drawing from the living model, were the only subjects of study permitted' at the Royal Academy Schools where he studied from 1931-35 (Scott, quoted in William Scott, exh.cat., op.cit., p.65).  Both form and title of the present work refer back to these early studies and the fact that 'continual figure paintings made me aware of the great paintings of nudes. The pictures I had in mind amonst the Old Masters were Cranach, Titian, Giorgione, Goya, Boucher...' (Scott, ibid., p.65). The arrangement of the 'wig-stand' Blue Lady between two vertical forms on either side also serves to elongate the composition whilst the long rectangular shape made up of brick like components on the left is perhaps a direct reference to the Berlin Wall, which, at the time, still divided East Berlin from West Berlin where the Scotts were living.