Lot 30
  • 30

John Bratby, R.A.

Estimate
4,000 - 6,000 GBP
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • John Bratby, R.A.
  • Eve
  • signed; titled and dated 58 on the stretcher
  • oil on board
  • 143 by 51.5cm.; 56¼ by 20¼in.

Provenance

Sale, Christie's London, 12th May 1989, lot 99
Private Collection

Exhibited

London, Julian Hartnoll, John Bratby 1928-1992, Spring 2003, cat. no.11.

Literature

Maurice Yacowar, The Great Bratby: A Portrait of John Bratby, R.A., Middlesex University Press, 2008, p.66, illustrated.

Condition

The board is sound. The surface is in generally good condition with areas of strong impasto. There are 4 small neat nail holes along the upper edge and a further nail hole to Eve's left leg. There are a few tiny flecks of paint loss, to the upper background, to one or two of the raised edges and along the lower left edge. Ultraviolet light reveals some spots of fluorescence to Eve and lower left, which are apparently the hand of the artist. Held under glass in a white painted wood frame; unexamined out of 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.
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

The present work was one of several commissioned for Ronald Neame's 1958 Oscar nominated film, The Horse's Mouth, based on the novel of the same title by Joyce Cary. Bratby's paintings were used as the work of Cary's passionate and deeply idiosyncratic artist hero, Gulley Jimson, played in the film by Alec Guinness and Bratby considered these pieces as amongst his best work.