George Leslie Hunter

Sale: Sotheby's, 1 September 1998, lot 1408;
Private Collection

STRUCTURE The board is sound. There are a few very minor pin holes to the extreme edges which are intrinsic to the work. There is an extremely minor dent to the board at the lower right edge with very minor media loss on close inspection. Otherwise this work is in good original condition, clean and ready to hang. UNDER ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT Ultraviolet light reveals so sign of retouching. FRAME Held in a decorative moulded frame in fair condition. Under glass and unexamined out of frame.
"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 current work probably dates to the late 1920s during a period when Hunter's still life paintings were particularly vibrant, marked by a richness of colour and boldness of composition. As Derek Ogston highlights in The Life and Work of George Leslie Hunter 1877-1931, "Leslie Hunter's later still life and flower paintings exhibit considerable variety in both style and subject. It is clear that he continued to experiment, although bright colour was a constant constituent of his work, often with vibrant colours of fruit echoed in the design on a vase or background curtain." During this period Hunter was encouraged by his friend and biographer Tom Honeyman to concentrate on painting still-life and this was to give him a new and more focused direction in his work. In the Times review of 1923, Honeyman confirms that "Mr Hunter loves paint and the flatness of paint. He loads it on lusciously...his still-life paintings are strong and simple in design and gorgeous in colour. Only his firm taste and his mastery of colour prevent him being blatant; but, missing that, he makes the heart glad, like wine." Honeyman further identifies that "it is this unerring sense of colour that made Hunter the artist he became...never a jarring pattern is found, or an inharmonious tone in his colour schemes – rich and glowing as they are without a hint of garishness."

Hunter loved nothing more than to paint fruit or flowers and he relished the prospect of devoting his time to still-life painting. Hunter usually composed his still life paintings around a central motif of flowers or bowls of fruit or sometimes more unusual objects such as a lobster. He would return to his Glasgow studio with bouquets of choice blooms or ripe fruit and despite the chaos of his housekeeping, was able to find interestingly shaped ceramics to contain them and construct a pleasing and sophisticated still life from which to work. The bold colouring and the starkness of the forms of the pears and the striking pink vase against the backdrop of an intensely green curtain, clearly demonstrates Hunter's admiration for Matisse. One of Hunter's chief patrons in Glasgow, William McInnes owned a fine still life by Matisse that Hunter greatly admired and would often sit in front for hours. Honeyman makes the important point that the Glasgow Art dealer Alexander Reid felt Hunter was "a more powerful colourist than Matisse and equally refined". During his lifetime Hunter's work was often likened to that of both Matisse and Cezanne and although Honeyman noted that both artists had had some influence upon Hunter, especially during his stay in France, he was adamant in his contest that Hunter was far from an imitator of any other artist stating that "one should not liken him to Matisse. One should contrast them. Each is a colourist, but their perceptions differ." At this time Hunter's style was fully formed and he was proud of his achievements "he was emphatic in the conviction that his present style of painting qualified him for inclusion among the accredited leaders of the post-war European art."