# - Brontë, Charlotte.

i) 'Cottage in Wallasley', 100 by 144mm.;



ii) 'Cottage in lane near Mr Armstrong's', 83 by 121mm.;



iii) 'Bridge near Wrottle', 116 by 122mm.;



iv) 'Cottages opposite the Bank of Bolwell House', 118 by 140mm.;



v) 'The Summer House on the lawn of Bolwell House', 128 by 112mm.;



all pencil sketches, captioned, unsigned, mounted together, framed and glazed

Arthur Bell Nicholls[?], John Alexander Symington

all pencil sketches, captioned, unsigned, mounted together, framed and glazed; in fine or near fine condition
"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."

All of these sketches are recorded and reproduced within Christine Alexander and Jane Sellars' The Art of the Brontës, Cambridge: University Press, 1995.

Only the fifth sketch is given a definite attribution (number 162) by Alexander and Sellars. They state that 'the sketch appears to have been made from nature... it probably indicates a garden Charlotte visited, possibly with the Taylor family; but unfortunately no record has been found so far of Bolwell House'. Alexander and Sellars note with reference to the caption and date that 'the hand is identical to other examples of Charlotte's writing at this date'. The provenance of the five sketches can be definitely traced back to John Alexander Symington (then sold by Christie's, 18 December 1964, lot 59). As noted by Alexander and Sellars, 'earlier provenance may be associated with Arthur Bell Nicholls'.

Of the other sketches, Alexander and Sellars note, of sketch one, 'the hand is almost identical to that of Charlotte (except for the 'tt')... part of the watermark 'J. WHATMAN' shows clearly through the right side of the paper. Charlotte was still using paper with this mark until August 1845'. Alexander and Sellars state, of the second sketch, 'the hand is almost identical to that of Charlotte, except for the unusual 'tt' and the flattened appearance of the writing'. Once again the paper includes part of the 'J. WHATMAN' watermark. The third sketch includes a caption that Alexnader and Sellars comment 'is almost identical to that of Charlotte, especially the 'B', 'd' and 'g' of 'Bridge'; but the 'tt' and 'W' of 'Wrottle' are unlike her normal style. The fourth sketch, 'Cottages opposite the Bank of Bolwell House' is described by Alexander and Sellars with the note 'the hand is almost identical to that of Charlotte, except for the unusual 'tt', the clumsy 'H' and the joining of words.' With reference to these four sketches, Alexander and Sellars suggest that 'minor variations in the script of the title[s] compared to other examples of [Charlotte's] hand at this time... make attribution uncertain'.