Attributed to James Lobley

Possibly Alfred Harris, Junior, of Lunefield near Kirby Lonsdale, Lancashire;
London, Christopher Wood;
London, J.S. Maas & Co, where bought by Lady Scott, 25 May 1972 for £800

Possibly Royal Academy, 1873, no 363, as The Demurrer;
Bradford, Cartwright Hall Museum and Art Gallery, 26th Feb - 24th April 1983, James Lobley 1882-1888: Paintings and Watercolours, no. 5

John Hadfield, Every Picture Tells a Story: Images of Victorian Life, 1985, p. 113, illustrated p. 112;
Sotheby's, Pictures from the Collection of Sir David and Lady Scott, 2008, pp. 158-159.

The following condition report has been provided by Hamish Dewar, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. STRUCTURAL CONDITION The canvas has a rather hard lining and is securely attached to a wooden keyed stretcher. PAINT SURFACE A craquelure pattern is visible in a raking light which appears to be stable. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals a very discoloured varnish layer and several areas of dots and flecks of retouching. These appear predominantly: 1. all around the four framing edges, 2. spots and flecks in the background of the interior, 3. in the jacket and hair of the gamekeeper, 4. in the shadows and darker pigments of the furniture surrounding the squire, 5. in the background in the lower half of the composition and in the foreground, in the carpet. Other small dots are scattered throughout the composition. The majority of these would appear to be covering the small drying cracks to the paint surface and stregthening particularly to the darker areas of the painting. It may be that a proportion of these are unneccessary. The varnish surface is uneven. SUMMARY The painting is therefore in stable condition with the potential for improvement in its appearance should cleaning be undertaken. Hamish Dewar Ltd, 13 & 14 Mason's Yard, Duke Street, St James's, London SW1Y 6BU Tel: +44 (0)20 7930 4004 Fax: +44 (0)20 7930 4100 Email: hamish@hamishdewar.co.uk
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

'Although I have not been able to prove it, I have no doubt that this picture is by James Lobley and is the one exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1873, under the title "The Demurrer". It depicts the scholarly landlord, uninterested in sporting affairs, sitting in his study, the blinds drawn on a fine day and the wages of his gamekeeper comes in the letter pile on the table beside him. He looks up as the gamekeeper comes in. "See here, maister it aint good enough. I have to live on turnips, How'd you like to live on turnips?" He cuts off a slice, takes a bite out of it and offers the rest to his landlord. We can imagine what the reply will be [...] It is admirably painted. I particularly like the 'negligé' attire of the landlord, obviously a bachelor, and the contrasting clothes of the gamekeeper.' Sir David Scott

Christopher Wood described this painting in his book Victorian Panorama: 'The gamekeeper is remonstrating with the bookish Squire, who is more interested in his books than the rent which lies on the table, and complaining that he and his family have to live on turnips.' (Christopher Wood, Victorian Panorama, 1976, p.156 ) When the painting was exhibited in Bradford (Lobley's home town) in 1983, it was suggested that it may be the picture entitled The Demurrer, which Lobley sent to the Royal Academy in 1873 and was subsequently owned by the wealthy art collector, Alfred Harris. The interior setting is unusual for Lobley and it is possible that it was painted at the home of Harris in Kirby Lonsdale. (The background of another genre painting by Lobley, entitled Ancient and Modern, was certainly painted at the home of one of Lobley's patrons.) Harris and Lobley were friends for many years and Lobley taught several members of Harris' family to paint. In return Harris wrote an affectionate obituary for Lobley in the Bradford Observer.

The picture depicts, and sympathises with, the hardship of the farm labourer, against an uncaring and miserly land-owner. It is thought that the artist intended to make a reference to Ruskin's Fors Clavigera, in which he wrote: '... nearly every problem of state policy and economy consists in some device for persuading you labourers to go and dig up dinner for us reflective and aesthetic persons who like to sit still and admire.'