Sir John Lavery, R.A., R.S.A., R.H.A.

Spink, London
Sale, Sotheby's London, 15 May 1985, lot 9

Kenneth McConkey, John Lavery, A Painter and his World, Atelier Books, Edinburgh, 2010, p. 234 (note 147).

The canvas has been lined, most probably by the artist, as the work has been signed, titled and dated on the reverse of the lining. There are one or two specks of staining in the sea. Otherwise the work is in good overall condition. Ultraviolet light reveals scattered flecked retouchings in all four quadrants. These are not excessive and have been well executed. Held in a painted and metallic composite frame. Please telephone the department on 0207 293 5575 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."

Lavery's five known paintings of the majestic twin peaks of Mount Bou Kornine on the far side of the Bay of Tunis, were all painted from the same location. Local legend, which would have appealed to the painter, has it that in ancient times, the twin summits were petrified pilgrims captivated by the beauty that lay before them. It is clear from the present example that the painter concurred. 

The series was probably executed on the rooftop of Dar Ennejma Ezzahra, the Moorish palace at Sidi bou Said, recently renovated by Lavery's friend, Rodolphe d'Erlanger. Despite his French sounding name Rodolphe and his brother, Emile, were scions of the famous banking dynasty which had, in earlier generations, successfully migrated first from Germany to Paris and then to London during the Dreyfus scandal. Rodolphe had acquired the house on the Bay of Tunis as a base for his antiquarian interests in the origins of Arab music and culture around 1910 and thereafter set about restoring it and the surrounding picturesque hilltop village. The offer to stay there in the winter of 1919, may have been a way of thanking Lavery for his recent support when the brothers risked internment as enemy aliens during the Great War. They had, it was quickly realized, been resident in Britain for over twenty years, and as international bankers, were highly respected.

Of the series, the present example, looking due East beyond the tiny fishing port of Hammam-lif from the heights of Sidi bou Said, is the simplest and most subtle. A larger version, Hammam-Lif, Bay of Tunis, Evening, From Sidi bu Said (1919, sold Sotheby's 7 May 2008, Fig.1) shows, as its title suggests, the harbour with its cluster of fishermens' dwellings. While both present pale mountain silhouettes against the evening expanse of sky and sea, in the present case the golden light has begun to fade and faint touches of pink afterglow appear in the surf. On such an occasion it was impossible not to recall Whistler's seascapes, several of which Lavery had handled during his years as Vice-President of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers. Like Whistler, Lavery was searching for 'arrangement' and 'harmony', musical qualities brought home in the subtleties of Evening, Bay of Tunis, and which must have greatly appealed to his Orientalist host.

Kenneth McConkey