Sir Alfred James Munnings, P.R.A., R.W.S.

Maurice Codner, R. P., R.O.I. (acquired directly from the artist and until 1958)
John Whitlock Codner (by descent from the above, his father, and until 2008)
Dickinson Roundell Inc., New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Sir Alfred Munnings, The Second Burst, Bungay, Suffolk, p. 353

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This painting is in beautiful and seemingly undamaged condition. The canvas has never been removed from its original stretcher and the tacking edges are all intact. The paint layer was most likely cleaned at some point and although it may be slightly dirty, it could be hung as is. There appear to be no retouches. The painting is very fresh and some of the original colors show quite brightly under ultraviolet light, yet these do not correspond to restorations.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

While Munnings is best known for his society and equestrian portraits, his love of plein air sketching and exploration of the English countryside, hunting for the perfect landscape and armed with an easel, palette and brushes, contributed to some of his most lively and arresting images.

He sometimes traveled with his friend, fellow artist and the subject of the present lot, Maurice Codner. In The Second Burst, the second volume of his memoirs, he recounts the conception of a version of this painting while they were in Wiston:

"After trying here and there, Codner settled down to paint the river and luxuriant growth along its banks – its surface thickly grown over with weeds, all glistening in the sun. He sat on rising ground where an old cattle-bridge crossed the stream. I took note of him sitting there at work, with the old bridge and the willows in the background. Here was a picture!" (Sir Alfred Munnings, The Second Burst, Bungay, Suffolk, 1941, p. 353)

Indeed, Munnings' enthusiasm for this scene is clear. He claims to have painted the affectionate portrait in just two hours and the casual, lighthearted approach is evident. In painting his friend, he is released from the formal conventions that are espoused by his society portraits. The ground is loose and gestural, especially through the curtain of richly colored, scumbled foliage in the background. The emphasis rests on Codner and he is carved out of swift, confident strokes, and sparkles in the brilliant sun.

Munnings painted Codner sketching here two more times, each time closing the distance between himself and his subject. The present work is the closest view and Munnings was very fond of it. In a letter to Codner on November 4, 1941, wrote: "Dear Maurice... the tail of my shirt at Wiston – I do hope you've got that picture of you in a safe place and not in 26 (Temple Fortune Hill, London, Codner's house)... it is a good one. Yrs ever, AJ". The reference to a "safe place" acknowledges the Nazi bombing of London while the "shirt tail" refers to the cloth at Codner's feet in the foreground of the present work. Munnings had torn it off of his own shirt to give Codner something with which to clean his brushes.

The Codners were equally fond of this painting, having kept it in their family collection for decades, until 2008.