Spencer Frederick Gore

The Artist's Family
Anthony d'Offay, London, where acquired by the present owner in 1984

London, Carfax Gallery, Paintings by the late Spencer F. Gore, 1916, cat. no.11;
London, Leicester Galleries, Exhibition of Paintings by Spencer F. Gore, 1928, cat. no.25;
The Arts Council, Spencer Frederick Gore 1878-1914, 1955, cat. no.4, lent by Mrs Spencer Gore;
London, Redfern Gallery, Spencer Gore and Frederick Gore, 1962, cat. no.12;
Colchester, The Minories, Spencer Frederick Gore 1878-1914, March - April 1970, cat. no.5, with tour to Oxford, Ashmolean Museum and Sheffield, Graves Art Gallery;
London, Anthony d'Offay, Spencer Frederick Gore 1878-1914, 1983, cat. no.2, illustrated in the catalogue.

Original canvas. There are a few places where the canvas weave appears more prominent but this inherent to the material used; otherwise the work appears in good original condition with some strong passages of impasto. Under ultraviolet light there appear to be isolated flecks of minor retouching in places along the very outer upper edge. Held in a gilt plaster frame with a canvas inset. Please telephone the department on 0207 293 6424 if you have any questions about 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."

In 1906 Gore embarked upon a series of studies of music-hall and ballet subjects at the Old Bedford and Alhambra, which came to form some of his best known paintings. The present work is Gore's first recorded painting of the Alhambra and the choice of subject and style of painting resonates with the work of Sickert, whom Gore had met two years earlier in Dieppe.

Located in Leicester Square but demolished in 1936, the Alhambra was one of the most popular music-halls of its day. Its decorative design and large stage, host to a variety of spectacular shows, provided plenty of inspiration for Gore. Ashley Gibson, a journalist friend of Gore wrote how he, 'was a familiar figure in the Alhambra balcony, always in the same seat, taking sights with thumb and pencil at the uplifted legs of ballerinas' (Ashley Gibson, Postscript to Adventure, London, 1930, p.33). The dancer in A Ballet at the Alhambra is Maria Bordin, prima ballerina assoluta from La Scala, Milan. Ivor Guest, the renowned historian of nineteenth-century ballet, wrote of the 'grace, vigour and subtlety of her dancing', which Gore evokes with deft brushstrokes in the controlled and fluid movement of her body.