John Craxton, R.A.

London, Leicester Galleries, May - June 1944

The work is executed on light brown wove paper. The sheet undulates very slightly towards the lower edge. The sheet has been torn in the upper right corner. Otherwise the work appears to be in its original condition with crisp, bright colours throughout. Under glass and held in a simple wooden frame with a cream mount. Unexamined out of its 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."

In 1943, on a visit to Pembrokeshire with Graham and Kathy Sutherland and Peter Watson, John Craxton saw a large and emasculated bleached tree root guarding the head of the small inlet of sandy haven. Such a presence lent itself to a metamorphic interpretation and a personal painterly obsession ensued with many versions of the same subject (see The Poet's Eye, Visionary Poems and Passages chosen by Geoffrey Grigson, 1944, p.23 and p.78). It was Sutherland's work, but above all Paul Nash's Monster Field seen before the war, which alerted Craxton to the possibilities inherent in these strange and anomalous objects lurking in the landscape.

We are grateful to Ian Collins for his kind assistance with the cataloguing of this lot.