Paul Henry, R.H.A., R.U.A.

Stephen Rich, London;
Private collection, Ireland;
Sale, John de Vere White's, Dublin, 27 June 2000, lot 72, whence purchased by the present owner

The colours are bluer and stronger than the illustration suggests. Original canvas in good overall condition. Under ultraviolet light, there are some tiny spots of retouching by the centre left edge, some small spots to the shrimper's back and to the base of his boat, two vertical fine lines of retouching in the upper right sky, one approx 4in. long and the other approx 6in long and a small spot by the centre of the right edge. The signature is black under ultraviolet light however, this has been tested and is autograph. Held in a black veneer 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."

Paul Henry made a number of pictures on this theme during his early years on Achill. Perhaps the best known of these—and a composition almost identical to this one—is The Lobster Fisher, 1911-13, which was issued as an Eire 15p postage stamp on Monday 30 August 1976 to mark the centenary of the artist's birth (see fig.1). The thin translucent paint which typifies this picture also characterizes a number of other Henry pictures of this time, such as A Grey Evening, Achill, 1917-19, in which the apparent simplicity of approach is deceptive, for it subtly disguises Henry's ability to reduce the essential elements of a composition to a few basic items. Yet despite the modesty in concept, all has been planned with great care and there is no trace of hesitation or of revisions; the paint is clear and the white canvas underneath gives a gentle radiance to the surface, a feature that has been capitalized upon in the ripples of the sea in the foreground, where the thin, liquid paint almost literally becomes water. The Shrimper is numbered 1226 in S. B. Kennedy's ongoing catalogue of Paul Henry's oeuvre.

We are grateful to S.B.Kennedy for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of this work.