Walter Richard Sickert, A.R.A

H.S. Reitlinger
His sale, Sotheby's, London, 26 May 1954, lot 571
Sale, Sotheby's, London, 8 July 1970, lot 38
Private Collection 

Wendy Baron, Sickert, 1973, under no.271;
Wendy Baron and Richard Shone, Sickert Paintings, New Haven and London, 1992, p.210, illustrated fig.150;
Wendy Baron, Sickert: Paintings and Drawings, Yale University Press, London and New Haven, 2006, no.354.4, p.373.

The work is on a sheet of buff toned paper which has been laid down. There are a few tiny holes along the upper edge and in the lower right corner which may be artist's pinholes. There is an old crease in the upper right corner. There is a further abrasion in the centre of the lower edge. There are some black spots of surface matter in the upper left quadrant, visible in the catalogue illustration. Held under glass in a simple gilded rectilinear frame which has sustained some minor abrasions. 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."

The present work is a sketch for Sickert's powerful L'Affaire de Camden Town (Private Collection), painted in 1909. Although there has been great debate about the degree to which Sickert drew on the facts of the murder of Emily Dimmock, who was found with her throat cut on 12 September 1907 in St Paul's Row, Camden Town, here the artist actually names the victim at the bottom of the sheet. Sickert produced a number of sketches for the painting but none of the others is known to name Emily Dimmock. 

We are grateful to Dr Wendy Baron for her kind assistance with the cataloguing of this lot.