David Bomberg

The following condition report has been prepared by the restorer Hamish Dewar: Structural Condition The canvas would certainly appear to be unlined. The artist's gessoed ground layers extend onto the turnover and tacking edges and cover the tacks themselves. There are also traces of ground layers on the reverse of the canvas. The structural condition is sound and stable. Paint surface No retouchings are visible under ultra-violet light. The paint surface has a slightly uneven varnish layer and therefore the removal of the present varnish layer followed by revarnishing would be beneficial. Summary The painting would therefore appear to be in excellent and stable condition. 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."

David Bomberg left for Cuenca with his wife Lilian in 1934, armed with the proceeds of three successful sales of paintings to dedicated Bradford collectors, Arthur Crossland, Asa Lingard and Wyndham T. Vint. Five years earlier he had enjoyed an incredibly productive stay in Toledo where he produced twenty paintings of the city and surrounding area. It was during this trip, in a pension in Madrid, that Bomberg had seen an engraving of Cuenca and been inspired by the geographical make-up of the city, known as Eagles Nest, perched on a hilltop and straddled either side by great ravines and the rivers Júcar and Huécar. After disappointment in London in the early 1930s, and in Russia in 1933, Bomberg set his sights on Cuenca to enliven his work as Toledo had done before. In the words of Richard Cork, 'If Toledo had provided him with the breakthrough he needed, other Spanish sites might help him reach an even deeper understanding of the natural forces he cherished' (Richard Cork (ed.), David Bomberg, London, Tate Gallery, 1988, pp.30-31).

In Cuenca Bomberg painted in the open air as often as possible, travelling around on a donkey in order to locate the best vantage points from which to paint. Many of the resulting paintings have been taken from a high viewpoint from which the town appears as part of the patchwork quilt of the surrounding landscape. Architecture, hillside and landscape are painted with the same tones and brushwork, often under the all-encompassing atmospheric glare of sunset. The low viewpoint of the present work produces a very different effect which emphasises the impression of Cuenca's 'Hanging Houses'. The buildings rise up from the cliffs, their outlines producing a lyrical effect when presented against the bright blue sky.