Early British Drawings, Watercolours and Portrait Miniatures

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Lot 165
  • 165

William James Müller

Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • William James Müller
  • Crypt of the Bishop's Palace during the Bristol Riots

  • signed l.l.: WMuller / 1832; further inscribed verso: the cript [sic] of the Bishops Palace in which at the time of [the] / burning it two of the rioters were confined - theire [sic] fate is uncurtain [sic] its not being known whether they did not perish in the flames / WMuller - 1832 Feby

     

  • watercolour over pencil heightened with bodycolour, on brown paper, mounted, unframed
  • 20.3 by 26.5 cm.; 8 1/8 by 10 1/2 in.

Provenance

Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol;
with The Motcomb Galleries, London, June 1958
Anonymous sale, Phillips, London, 27 November 2001, lot 111 (as a View of Wells);
with Abbott & Holder, London, 2005

Condition

The work is in very good condition. The colours have remained very fresh and strong. The sheet has not been laid down.
"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."

Catalogue Note

Müller's dramatic and highly charged watercolour is inspired by the Bristol riots that took place on the 30th and 31st October 1831, which he witnessed. Regarded as the bloodiest disturbances of the 19th Century, for nearly two days the city was effectively in the hands of the masses. Reacting against the House of Lords' refusal to pass the second Reform Bill, the rebels sacked, burnt and destroyed prisons, the toll-houses, the Mansion House, the Custom House and the Bishop's Palace. This watercolour is connected with a group of oil sketches and watercolours which depict these historical events. Very few of these works remain in private hands and most are now in the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery (see Francis Greenacre & Sheena Stoddard, W. J. Muller 1812-1845, 1991, cat. no. 26-46).