Charles Spencelayh

Alice Creed;
Sold to benefit Tate acquisitions of British Art;
Bonhams, 19 November 2003, lot 113

STRUCTURE This picture is in excellent original condition. The paper is flat in the mount and there are no signs of tearing, foxing or staining. The picture is ready to hang. FRAME Held under glass in an ebonised wooden frame and with a clean mount; unexamined out of frame. 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."

It is likely that The Latest Edition was painted around 1936 as the address given on a label attached to the reverse, is that of Beaufort House in Hollingbourne, Kent where the artist briefly resided. By this time Spencelayh had amassed a sizeable collection of Victorian furniture and bric-a-brac which he frequently used in his paintings. Aubrey Noakes has described a room in the house; 'which became known as 'the Juggery' because it contained little else but metal and china jugs hung in rows' (A. Noakes, Charles Spencelayh and His Paintings, 1978, p. 58). Spencelayh's connoisseurial appreciation of jugs can be seen in The Latest Edition, depicting a gentleman carefully studying his recent purchase.  This particularly handsome Toby jug was described by Noakes as one of Spencelayh's favourites and has a central position in the The Bloom of the Season.