Christopher Wood

The Redfern Gallery, London, where acquired by Admiral Sir Charles Lambe, R.N., in October 1935 and thence by descent to the present owner

London, The New Burlington Galleries, Christopher Wood: Exhibition of Complete Works, 3rd March - 2nd April 1938, cat. no.147;
London, The Redfern Gallery, Christopher Wood: The First Retrospective Exhibition since 1938, 1959, cat. no.19, lent by Admiral Sir Charles and Lady Lambe;
London, The Redfern Gallery, Christopher Wood 1901-1930, November 1965, cat. no.21;
Edinburgh, Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Christopher Wood Paintings, June - July 1966, cat. no.9.

Eric Newton, Christopher Wood 1901-1930, Redfern Gallery, London, 1938, cat. no.307.

The board is sound and is very slightly bowed. There are artist pinholes in the corners and there is a tiny spot of paint separation to the sail of the central boat. The surface is very slightly dirty otherwise the work is in excellent original condition with strong passages of impasto throughout. Ultraviolet light reveals no apparent signs of retouching. Held in a painted and gilt wood frame. Please telephone the department on 020 7293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"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.
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Christopher Wood first travelled to St Ives with Tony Gandarillas during the months of September and October 1926, after a series of complicated disputes with Diaghilev over set designs for the impresario's new ballet, Romeo and Juliet. Having been brought up close to the Liverpool docks, Wood had a natural affinity with the sea, and particularly with boats and harbours. Cornwall had been the homeland of his mother and he found himself immediately struck by its potential for his painting. 'Cornwall is beautiful, rather austere, but I think that if I am here long enough I shall paint good things' (Richard Ingleby, Christopher Wood: An English Painter, Allison and Busby, London, 1995, p. 133). St Ives in particular equipped Wood with almost all of the themes that were to re-appear in his most successful works of the remaining years, whether Cornish or Breton in their precise location.

St Ives, Cornwall was painted in 1928, during what can be described as the most important year of Wood's artistic development. The 'discovery' in St Ives at the end of the summer of Alfred Wallis, an almost illiterate retired mariner turned painter, by Wood and Ben Nicholson is a landmark event in the history of modern art in Britain. Wallis' curious combination of a lifetime's maritime experience and an entirely untutored approach to painting produced work of such freshness that his example immediately began to influence his younger contemporaries and continues to send ripples down to the present day. The influence of Wallis' work on the two young artists can not be overemphasised.

Wood recognised the importance of this period and wrote in a letter in 1928, 'It is a great moment in my life. I feel things are becoming really vital and the studentship has passed. My work is becoming personal and sure and unlike anybody else's.' (Eric Newton, Christopher Wood, Redfern Gallery, London, 1938, p.29).

The view that Wood has chosen is still recognisable today. Standing by the original lighthouse on Smeaton's Pier, he looks towards the rocky outcrop on which now stands the Pedn-Olva Hotel. Beyond this is Porthminster Beach, and the large stone edifice of the Malakoff, and then the rising ground that is topped by the castellated silhouette of Tregenna Castle.