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

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

Glasgow, Fine Art Society, Robin Philipson at 70, 1986;
Edinburgh, Fine Art Society, Robin Philipson at 70, 1987;
London, Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition,1987;
Edinburgh, Edinburgh College of Art, Robin Philipson Retrospective, 1989, no.146 

W. Gordon Smith, Philipson, Edinburgh, 1995 (illus. pp. 107, 109-110

Left Canvas: The canvas is original. There is some extremely light craquelure in isolated place and some very light surface dirt. Otherwise in good original condition. Ultraviolet light reveals no sign of retouching. Held in a simple black painted frame in fair condition. Centre Canvas: The canvas is original. On very close inspection there is a tiny loss to an area of thick impasto towards the centre of the loser edge. There is some extremely light craquelure in isolated place and some very light surface dirt. Otherwise in good original condition. Ultraviolet light reveals no sign of retouching. Held in a simple black painted frame in fair condition. Right Canvas: The canvas is original. There is some extremely light craquelure in isolated place and some very light surface dirt. Otherwise in good original condition. Ultraviolet light reveals no sign of retouching. Held in a simple black painted frame in fair condition.
"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."

Ho! Ho! The Hobby Horse, one of Philipson's most ambitious and striking works, displays all the elements of his signature style and choice of subject matter. Philipson used the triptych format a handful of times to emphasise the monumentality of his work, something which was frequently employed by the great old master painters of the Italian and Northern Renaissance, a key influence. The work of Francis Bacon and Lucien Freud struck a key chord with Philipson and his imagery and style can at times bear a highly striking resemblance. "I have often thought of a man like Francis Bacon, who could go on painting virtually the same image in the same classical framelike format, then being able to push in that moment of magic that makes each painting not only different, but different in the most terrifying way. That's what the mystery is about really, and it's very exciting. Then if you think of someone like Lucien Freud, his very curious and painstaking vision, as if he were writing down every moment of his personal reaction to flesh. He knows the normal response will be unpleasant...but it's his way of seeing a kind of reality – and a kind of morality as well...he has taken that extra stride, that bloody great push in the back that puts you into a new aura, where you're terribly lost, don't quite know what you're going to do, yet feel you have the authority of portent and the capacity to step into the future...I would love to get more of this into my work – more mystery and wonder and fear" (Sir Robin Philipson quoted in W. Gordon Smith, Philipson, 1995, pp. 100-1). The imagery of the central canvas hinges around the three beef carcases hanging from meet hooks and dressed in French Revolution military uniforms. In the background one observes soldiers and prostitutes frolicking together in time honoured tradition. This imagery spills out into the two flanking canvases which display a fairground-like orgy taking place on a carousel with a striking black silhouetted executioner, a general metaphor for death, who leans heavily on his large axe to the right of the composition. In researching imagery for this work Philipson spent "three days chittering in the bitter cold of the abattoir" having "sketched animal carcases at Gorgie slaughterhouse. Later, going through the wardrobe of clothes I keep for dressing-up – party costume for myself, or for a studio mock-up – I came across a handsome coat...probably seventeenth or eighteenth century. I don't know why, but for some reason I saw these Gorgie carcases wearing this coat, and variations of it, on a fairground roundabout" (Ibid, p.105). Philipson regarded Ho! Ho! The Hobby Horse his single most important work and is directly comparable to a triptych entitled Zebra, offered at Sotheby's on 1 May 2008 achieving a final price of £192,500.