John William Waterhouse, R.A., R.I.

The artist's estate and thence by descent to the present owner

Anthony Hobson, The Art and Life of JW Waterhouse RA 1849-1917, 1980, no.31, p. 180, illustrated p.35, plate. 24

STRUCTURE Original canvas. The canvas is loose and may benefit from restretching. The paint surface is dirty, with a discoloured varnish. There is a .5cm vertical tear off the lower left border. There are areas of craquelure to the centre of the work, as well as stretcher marks. There is a surface abrasion in the extreme upper left corner. There are a few areas of paint shrinkage to the figure blouse. ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT UV reveals a few scattered spots of old retouching, as well as a discoloured varnish which makes the reading difficult to interpret. FRAME Held in a gilt plaster frame with some chips missing. Please telephone the department on 020 7293 5718 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."

A Neapolitan Flax Spinner was probably painted during Waterhouse's visit to southern Italy in 1877 when he also painted several watercolours at Pompeii. Although he had been born in Italy, his parents had moved to England when he was five years old and the trip in 1877 was the first time he had returned.

This picture is a rare early painting by Waterhouse. Unlike other pictures of this formative period such as In the Peristyle of 1874 (Rochdale Art Gallery), After the Dance of 1876 and A Sick Child Brought into the Temple of Aesculapius of 1877 (both from the collection of Sir Tim Rice), this picture depicts a contemporary scene of Italian peasant life. However, the picture appears to have been based on an earlier, classically-inspired subject La Fileuse of 1874 (Bonhams, 29 September 2010, lot 143) which also depicts a flax spinner at the door of her house.