Patrick Heron

Private Collection, by 1991
Acquired from the above by the present owner

The following condition report has been prepared by the painting restorer Phil Young. CONDITION The painting is held in a frame, which is scuffed and marked. The canvas is generally flat with some cupping distortion where the paint has been cracked; this is mainly noticeable in the lower half. Mould stains at the back, lost priming and wrinkling of the lower tacking edge indicate the painting has been partly wet at some point and this may have caused the cracking and shrinkage. As a result, the canvas has been subject to general consolidation and flattening and appears to be impregnated with consolidant. As part of the same treatment the paint surface has a varnish layer and the canvas appears to have been restretched. There are numerous areas of restoration and retouching. The lost priming at the edges is not filled and the bare canvas is darkened through consolidation CONCLUSION The painting has been subject to consolidation and restoration; the appearance is good, however and the painting is now sound.
"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."

Amongst the many remarkable features of Heron's career was his ability to continually develop and renew his paintings so that each appears both fresh and adventurous. Throughout the 1950s, discernible groupings of work had succeeded each other, and by the very end of the decade, paintings such as Yellow Painting: October 1958 -May/June 1959 (Tate Collection) and Yellow Painting with Orange and Brown - Ochre Squares: June - Oct 1959 (Private Collection) had achieved a complexity and richness that constantly amaze. However, Heron's work rarely settles at any point, and as 1959 progressed, the paintings began to become simpler again, with reduced numbers of forms, and little overpainting and re-working. Initially this happened through one colour becoming dominant and steadily encroaching upon the others, as in Black Painting - Red, Brown, Olive: July 1959 (Private Collection), which was awarded that year's Grand Prize at the John Moore's Exhibition. As the numbers of forms lessened, so the layering of colours also diminishes, and we can see the introduction of different handling techniques.