Sir Robin Philipson, R.A., P.R.S.A., R.S.W.

The Loom Shop Gallery, Lower Largo;
Private Collection

The board is sound. On very close inspection, there is some extremely minor craquelure to some ares of impasto. Otherwise the work is in good original condition with rich impasto and fresh colours. The work is clean and ready to hang. Ultraviolet light reveals no sign of retouching. Held in a simple gold painted wooden 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 present work, along with Poppies Against an Unfinished Painting (Lot 210 in this sale), are both outstanding examples of one of Sir Robin Philipson's best loved subjects. In the 1980s Philipson painted a series of large scale paintings depicting poppies in which he began to make fresh experiments using abstraction to define and allocate pictorial space. The present work is extremely vibrant, consisting a limited palette of blue and red, creating a work with truly awesome visual impact. Philipson perfected a technique of underpainting and glazing within these works which would make them one of the great achievements of his artistic career. Philipson wrote of his poppy paintings; 'What attracted me to poppies was their splendour - the sheer power and yet the delicacy of their colour - the cold and warm reds and very subtle translucent lights. I began by modelling their form in whites and a range of neutral colours. When this "white" stage was quite dry, the strong colours were created by laying thin glazes of pale transparent paint over the top, sometimes up to ten or more one on top of the other. Some of the blacks are built up in the same way over a bed of very rich blue or crimson.' (W. Gordon Smith, Philipson, Edinburgh, 1995, p. 112). Both the present work and Poppies Against an Unfinished Painting, contain the sumptuous impasto found in Philipson's most attractive and successful paintings of this subject.