Sir William Nicholson

London, Leicester Galleries, Recent Paintings by William Nicholson, 1934, no.101.

The canvas is in good original condition. There is a tiny speck of paint loss close the centre of the work in the lower left quadrant. There is a semi-circular indentation to the paint surface in the lower right quadrant which is inherent to the work. There is no sign of retouching under ultra-violet light. Held in a painted composition frame. Please telephone the department on 020 7293 5381 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."

Nicholson first became really inspired to paint landscapes when he moved to Rottingdean in Sussex in 1909. He was immediately enthralled by the rolling patchwork of fields in the surrounding Sussex Downs and landscape subjects became an important outlet for creativity throughout his life.  The present work was painted circa 1933 around South Harting in West Sussex near Petersfield.

He had always been interested by the complexities of light and his landscape subjects were no different to his more well known still lifes in providing endless opportunities to capture the fleeting effects of natural light. In the present work, the unpredictable conditions of the clouds in the sky provide an interesting contrast to the network of fields, hedges and trees that clearly appealed to Nicholson's sense of design and which enabled him to demonstrate an infinite range of differing impasto brush work to portray the ever changing elements of the natural world.

We are grateful to Patricia Reed for her kind assistance with the cataloguing of the present work.