Walter Crane, R.W.S.

Purchased from the artist by Mr Brown of Selkirk;
Sotheby's, 18 June 1985, lot 24;
Christopher Wood Gallery, London;
Private collection

The following condition report has been prepared by Hamish Dewar, Fine Art Conservation, 13 & 14 Mason's Yard, Duke Street, St James's, London, SW1Y 6BU UNCONDITIONAL AND WITHOUT PREJUDICE Structural Condition The canvas has been lined and is securely attached to a relatively newly made, keyed wooden stretcher. This is providing an even and secure structural support. Paint Surface There is an overall pattern of slightly raised craquelure which appears to have been successfully stabilised during the lining process. The paint surface has an even if rather thick and glossy varnish layer. Inspection under ultraviolet light confirms the thick, uniform discoloured varnish layer. Due to the opaque nature of the varnish it is difficult to ascertain the extent of any previous restoration. Summary The painting would therefore appear to be in reasonably good and stable condition but it is difficult to be certain as to exactly how much retouching has been applied in the past. The painting should respond well to cleaning and it would benefit from a more sympathetic surface coating.
"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."

'I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful - a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.

I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She looked at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.

I set her on my pacing steed,
And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
A faery's song.'

John Keat's poem of 1819 La Belle Dame sans Merci was one of the most popular subjects for those Victorian artists that were drawn to romantic, medieval subjects and well-known paintings of the theme were made in the later nineteenth century by John William Waterhouse, Frank Cadogan Cowper, Frank Dicksee, Henry Meynell Rheam and Arthur Hughes. These rather glamorous romances were slightly at odds with the strange and delightfully eccentric subject described by Keat's which was more suited to the more claustrophobic and spiky style of the original Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Curiously Rossetti was the only member of the Brotherhood to seriously attempt the subject of La Belle Dame sans Merci and he abandoned the subject after making only a few preliminary drawings. The present painting is therefore perhaps the most completely realised depiction of the subject from this period. A watercolour version is also known, with the addition of ghostly apparitions (private collection).